I do something similar with busy puzzles. I do tend to pull out edges first so I can have a contained puzzle, then words if there are any and then I use the poster or the box to place the pieces in the right area then transfer to the puzzle table. And once you get to 1000 pcs it will be very quick!!! just filling in empty places.
Interesting technique I have not done exactly like this before but am currently doing a 1500 piece puzzle wth a forrest landscape that is basically all different greens. I decided to approach it by not sorting that much and started with the top left corner of the puzzle and am slowly working my way out from that ☺
Question for both of you - how many puzzles do you have on the go at one time? I’m thinking that giant puzzles and also being a TH-camr (collars etc) might lead to multiple on the go at the same time.
Try it on a smaller 500 or 1000 piece puzzle. And I did pick and choose out of the box but definitely did not do a big mix - you can tell a lot more pieces were picked out from the right side of the puzzle.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Gonna try it on a 200 pieces, have to find a smaller box, since my small puzzles doesn't come with the bottom box, I just dump them on the table.
Lots of small puzzle pieces can be overwhelming for me since I like pieces to be within reach. If I have to walk around too much it becomes difficult. Judy from addicted to puzzles is amazing at making massive size puzzles. It takes extra patience, extra love, extra perseverance. It is a mental and physical endurance exercise. Busy image puzzles that are large like in the 5K and up are a big project. Pat yourselves on the back ladies🙌🏻🧩❤️
I love the way you do this puzzle, i like the happiness that you share😊 Love puzzeling too, but way to scared of a 5000 p one. Wish you a lot of fun on your puzzeling journey.🎉 Greetings from Germany😊
I would love to do a puzzle with someone that uses the same technique - not necessarily a speed puzzle but just puzzling. I wonder if we could work well together??
My son is a build as you go. I am doing my 3000 pc Karen Puzzles which is a challenge but my son will come in for 30 mins or so and he will place them where they go to help me or connect if he can......he is a great help when he helps. Lol Having fun though. Goodluck with your puzzling. 🎉
I need to get a Colin Thompson puzzle! 💖 I finished my 1500 Springbok "Moonlit Village" a few days ago 😁 It took a few months, I think? Some days I might place 2 or 3 pieces and then walk away to avoid madness, lol. But it's so lovely and amazing quality! Lots of wonky donkey pieces. There was one missing piece, but that's not bad for a used puzzle from 2008 🤔 I loved the puzzle so much that I decided to keep it and do it again in a year or two.
That was a tough puzzle the Moonlit Village - time for something easier for sure. Well done on finishing it. There are some 500 and 1000 piece Colin Thompson puzzles - you should give one a go!
I tried this method with a 1500pc Jan van Haasteren puzzle which is generally just snow, sky, and people. I loved it. I put aside the sky and snow, and put on the board where the people would go. It gets exciting when you get to the part where you start putting pieces together. I'm building another JvH atm, but this one has more colors on it so I pick distinct colors together before building it. Different design, different approach. Love whichever way!
Hi, I would follow your method only for the last hundred pieces. My favorite method is to make a serious and precise selection based on different characters of the reference, and then I almost always work by placing the piles in precise positions and finishing. I love your video as usual🧡
Great watching you and Vicky do this and see the difference in approaches. The puzzle looks great as well. I’m just about to start a 2000 piece which is my first ever puzzle over 1000 pieces! Good luck with the rest of the puzzle! 👍
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Thanks! I’m doing the Ravensburger Paris Sunset puzzle. Loved the image as soon as I seen it with different wee things here and there in it. Took me ages to pick it as I wanted my first 2000 piece to be an image that I was attracted to rather than just one I picked quickly.
this collaboration was the most most fun... very very interesting to see how differently you both have tackled this puzzle...your method is veryyyyyyy confusing for me... I can see how you would be overwhelmed with this type of image. I have several Colin Thomspon... I love the images too.... I say bravo for doing his images in 5000 count.. I have not done over 1000.. I say what fun , looking forward to the next video... and Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I never sort into piles, no matter the count I use large serving trays and flip every piece, then "sort & pick out " sections I want to do as I go... like Vickie does by color , texture etc..... picked from the trays its easy to see every piece and easy to do with a smaller count..no idea how I would do 5000 pieces.. you are brave...the way you puzzle from the box boogles my mind, ... I love love his detail..the whimsy.....I just found a rare Ravensburger by him called Flying Home 1000 piece thrifted for $2.99.... I found it in the square Ravensburger box, have found it on line in the rectangle box for $89.00.. Oh US dollars... Egads... again this idea between two puzzlers is the best so far.....
I love the image! Colin Thompson puzzles are very enjoyable, I really like the busyness of his puzzles. I build these types of puzzles the same way you are building it, find the image, place it on the board. I have just never build a puzzle this large, 2000 pc is the largest I have gone. Loving your explanation of things and the video itself! 🧩🧩🧩
Thank you! I will admit that it does get a bit more overwhelming for me at the start of such a large puzzle. But once I get past that first step and start building, absolutely love it!!! Love Colin's puzzles as well.
I’m doing this puzzle now too. I got my puzzle second hand and there is no poster in it. That adds to the challenge. I sorted edges and then a mix of sort by colour/ obvious pieces. I did solid yellow green and blue, houses, leaves etc. I’m using my dining table. If I have pieces I know go in a specific place I set them along the edge of the lid of the box and then I don’t have to go back and forth so much and know where the pieces go. I have a bunch of trays to sort with. I didn’t sort the whole puzzle but sort some, build the puzzle and then sort again.
Oh no poster, that’s unfortunate as the detail on the box is so small. I hope you are enjoying it and sounds like you have a good sorting plan like Vicky. It’s so much fun all assembled and being able to see all the fun details. Keep me posted on your progress. 💜🧩
You're amazing! It's fascinating watching this puzzle come together. I was overwhelmed when you dumped all the pieces in the box. LOL I think you are doing a fantastic job. I love Colin Thompsons images.
Thank you! It was overwhelming seeing all those pieces at first. I mean sometimes even a 1000 piece can overwhelm me so this was a little next level. I can't wait for you all to watch the next video - it comes together so nicely!
I'm speechless at your ability to assemble without sorting. I have never done that. Maybe, I'll try it sometime. I've only done 1000 pieces...not sure I'm ready to graduate to 5000. Loved watching YOU tackle it, however 😀
This method looks chaotic but you definitely made me curious about it; might have to try it with a 500 piece first. It was so interesting seeing you and Vicky tackle the same puzzle, I think Vicky's approach is more my style 😂
Definitely give it a go on a busy 500 piece puzzle. I definitely would not do this on a puzzle which was more sortable (at least more sortable in my opinion).
I did Ravensburger's "Grand Library" puzzle (1500 pieces), and really wished that it had been a 3000 or 5000 piece puzzle since there was so much detail. A big poster like this would have been so helpful for the completion of the Grand Library puzzle. I guess the joy of the "Grand Library" puzzle was discovering details that you really couldn't see on the box picture.
I'm glad this puzzle was as big as it was or else all the detail would have been lost. Grand Library is a beautiful puzzle - would love to do at 3000 pieces.
I tried this method a few months ago, just as a challenge to myself. It was this beautiful 1000 piece rainbow puzzle with a bunch of seahorses. ...I can't say I like it! x) All of the loose pieces just floating around on the table absolutely stressed me out, I just did not enjoy it at all. Not my vibe at all, it's a WILD way of doing a puzzle, just chaos from start to finish! And I also didn't like that I had to study the image so hard. Part of the fun of puzzling for me is discovering the image as I put the pieces together. I LOVE that you can work on one section and have no idea what it is, then you put in enough pieces and "zoom out" and it reveals itself to you. Love that :D
It's definitely not a puzzling method for everyone. I would always suggest that if you want to give it a first try, to do on a busy 500 piece puzzle for a start. But glad you gave it a go and now you know it's not for you. Not what I do with every puzzle, if I feel they are more sortable, then I definitely revert to doing so.
Every time I watch one of your videos and I hear "two pieces connected", before you can say "I'm going to keep these together", I've already shouted, 'No! Take them apart!" I can't do it. My brain doesn't let me keep them together. It is probably the weird perfectionist part of my brain.
😂😂I finally managed to convince Alison not to separate pieces when we are speed running a new unopened puzzle. She's actually taken pieces apart and then put them immediately back together.
I put this one together in Jan '18. I asked my sister to get it for me for Christmas of 2017. I didn't use the grid method I usually do on a large puzzle on this one because it has so many different scenes in it to break it into smaller areas. I don't like sorting pieces but will group them in a pile where they will go. I like to do puzzles the way you are, by finding where they go on the poster, and placing them on the table. It didn't take as long to assemble as the 5000 piece Artistic Mickey I did recently. I had to check to see if my Bizarre town was 5000 pieces, which it is. I posted on Vicky's video before I saw this one. Glad you are having a great time on this one.
This was so much fun to build and I can't wait for everyone to see the second video in the series - it comes all together so nicely! I think Artistic Mickey would be more difficult - at least for me - than Bizarre Town.
I've tried your pick and place method on a 1,000 piece puzzle recently and while I did manage to get a lot of pieces in the general area; I found the method to be kind of overwhelming for my mind. Perhaps I'll try again with a different image. But this puzzle looks like a real challenge and I can't wait to see it finished!
@@hmmurray I looked up that image and I don't think it is the best for this method. I would have sorted most stuff an maybe built like the chairs or the bikes as I went but not much else. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Yeah I didn't think it was the right method for the image when I tried it. So I went about sorting things by objects which worked out much better in the long run. It's a wonderful learning process figuring out what puzzles require which method. I love it!
This is exactly how I've done the Awesome Alphabet puzzles. I might just have to try this one the same way in the near future. I bought it a couple years ago but haven't done it yet. I had just recently done Pepper Dreams by Schmidt, which is a portion of this image, so thought I should wait a while. So fun!
I've been wanting to try an Awesome Alphabet puzzle - I think Alison has one I should borrow at some point. Are you getting excited for Canadian Nationals?? It's quickly approaching!!! Can't wait to puzzle with you
I'm so glad you don't separate all pieces that are connected. I don't, either 😊. I can't do anything over 1000 pieces, and I think 1000 pieces are challenging. Enjoy you're videos !
I love that you are placing the pieces as you find them. I would be interested in trying that but probably with a smaller puzzle. I usually try to do the border first and that gives me the work area but your tape does the same job. I have ordered this puzzle and look forward to doing it but not sure how I will tackle it yet. In the end, trying to work out on the poster where each piece goes still has to be done whether doing a full sort or placing as you go. Enjoyed the video immensely and understand the overwhelmed thing totally. I tip out a 5000 piece puzzle and think oh crap lol what have I done? I also watched Vicky's video and both methods have merit for this particular puzzle. Hope you enjoy doing the other half. Look forward to the next video.
I would suggest you try it on a smaller 500 piece busy puzzle to start. Please let Vicky and I know how you decide to tackle this puzzle. I can't wait for you all to see the second video.
Im trying the Donnalouise method of build-as-you-sort with my sons junior Pintoo puzzles. Its a really fun tactic but I get too overwhelmed on larger sets and I just end up sorting them, even though I hate sorting
It is definitely best to use it on a busy image which is difficult to sort. Have you tried it on a 300 or 500 busy image? I just couldn't bring myself to sort this 5000 piece - I don't know how Vicky found the patience!
Hi Donnalouise! This was one of my favorite puzzles by far - it was the continual surprise of the little characters appearing I enjoyed. And the book titles!!! It was interesting to me that the parts that seem to come together first for both you and Vicky were the same for me - particularly the bathtub corner! I don't know that I would do the "pick a piece and place it method." Once a puzzle is in progress I will sometimes take a long time to examine the image for a single piece, but overall would feel too time-consuming to start that way. I'm about to start the Educa "Entering the Bedroom" so I might try that to see what I think. I do and don't like the initial sort... with a giant puzzle I tend to spread it out over several days so I don't rush into less helpfully organized piles.
The book titles are so much fun! I don't mind sorting but always get a bit overwhelmed when it's just a large piece count puzzle. That bathtub area was very distinct and so perhaps easier to pick those pieces out. It also takes up a pretty good portion of the puzzle compared to the other sections.
I hate to sort so I am all for this method. I was wondering what your puzzling board is made of? It didn't look like cardboard. You may have shared during the video but I wanted to post in case I forgot.
@fortheloveofpuzzles Awesome. I am definitely going to do that. I tried foam board for a 5000 pc puzzle but it just didn't feel sturdy enough. Thanks for all the puzzle fun!
I've done the pick a piece and place it with some jigsaws. I did that with the 500 piece Student Days which is quite busy. To start with it can be a bit haphazard but as more pieces go on the board it all starts pulling together. No doubt it will look great when it is finished. I'm currently battling with the Circle of Colors Rainbow Cake jigsaw. Look forward to the next instalment of Bizarre Town.
Some of those Circle of Colors puzzle are really quite difficult. I did the Rainbow Cake as a pairs and it was tricky indeed! Student Days is a fun busy puzzle - not as busy as this one but still quite fun to do as a pick and place.
This is interesting way to do a busy puzzle but I have cat so this is not going to work for me . I also love large and colorful puzzles . Saw your video and got the Clementoni Downtown puzzle . Thank you . I got a Pintoo The Night House Maze by Tom Parker , it’s a 4000 pieces and you should check it out . Keep up the good work .
I'm lucky that my dogs leave my puzzles alone so I can puzzle at will with them. But I can see how a cat would not allow for build-as-you-sort style. And that piece goes on the floor and then this pieces HAHAHA That Pintoo puzzle you mentioned is a fun busy one which I know I would love! 💜🧩
Hi, Donnalouise, I live in Poland and I am a puzzle enjoyer as well. I enjoy your videos and somehow I usually like to watch them before sleep - I'm not saying your videos are boring, they just have some calming and relaxing quality and they really help me to fall asleep. My question is not really for Vicky (I love her videos as well), but for you - any plans on going back to Educa 42000 puzzle? I know you had some image quality issues with it, but I plan to do it myself somewhere in the future and just the idea of leaving it unsolved in the middle is a little unmotivating. It must come from my personality - I love to observe things being completed or filled (I think that is why I love jigsaw puzzles so much) and I think I couldn't be able to get rid of the thought of the uncompleted puzzle. As for this puzzle - Your sorting method for this puzzle is very... interesting and original :D Being honest I love it - somehow it make this experience very satistying for me - again, it must be my personality quirk. You should count the steps you took, moving the pieces from poster to the table. I'm sure it was a nice workout. Much love from a polish fan
Hi!! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I love that you fall asleep while listening to my videos 😊 I hope I don’t disappoint you but I did one last video on the Educa puzzle - I took it all apart and sold it. It found a new home in Australia - I just wasn’t enjoying it at all. The video is the last one posted in the Around the World playlist. And I agree, I should have used a pedometer to count all my steps! I didn’t sit down once while going this puzzle. Love from Aotearoa New Zealand 💜🧩
I enjoyed watching this so much that I bought the puzzle. I am planning the set up space, and lighting. May I ask where I would look for the same lighting you are using? (I'm in Canada). I did a search on top down tripod lighting but don't see yours anywhere. Thanks so much!
So pleased you bought the puzzle and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. As for lighting, I just have a ceiling light diffused with a white pillow case and two tripod lights with diffusing umbrellas that I bought online here in New Zealand. I have a makeshift top-down tripod for my camera. I don’t know if you need diffused lighting - that is for my filming to avoid glare. You may be able to use some floor lamps. As for where to buy, photography shops would have the diffused tripod lights but floor lamps could be bought nearly anywhere. Let me know how you get on with the puzzle. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Thank you so much. Makeshift is a great idea! I'm going to arrange a setup - not sure exactly when - and invited some of my puzzle friends on a local puzzle group to join me. I think we would all enjoy that. I'll keep you posted. ps Also bought Ravensburger 5000 piece Fantastic Street. It's a nice puzzle!
Simple question, but does the diffused lighting help with reducing bright spots on the puzzle from the room lights? Had spot-lights in my old puzzle room and those reflected in my puzzles while I puzzled so I had bright spots on the puzzle which made the puzzling harder. Overall (a question for you both) in the absense of natural sunlight, how do you best, orbhow do you prefer to, light your puzzle area to avoid bright reflected spots on the puzzle while puzzling?
Diffuse lighting helps HEAPS!! Without it, I get like a round spotlight effect on my puzzle which isn't good for filming. And the diffuse light works well on puzzle with a lot more glare and shine on the pieces. I now can't puzzle without my diffuse lighting. Natural light to me is too unpredictable and makes for bad filming and puzzling so I prefer to try and control my lighting.
Hi Donnaqlouise - not to do with this puzzle but I picked up my 13,500 piece Trefl Cities Beyond the Clouds from delivery hub today and I have to return it. Amazon box ripped down all four sides, 6 of the 9 bags of pieces were open so most of the puzzle pieces were just lying loose in the bottom of the puzzle box. Seriously I don't know why they can't package properly and take care of something that cost almost $200 here. Hopefully they will do better with this Bizarre Town which is arriving tomorrow.
Oh no that’s terrible! Will they send you a new copy? I love the purples in that puzzle - maybe one to add to my Wishlist?? Let me know in what state Bizarre Town arrives - hopefully better than this! 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I read a few reviews on Amazon that say the Disney one arrived with open bags and pieces all over the box etc., so I think I'll just take the refund and not worry about another. Shame as I do love the puzzle. Oh well, these things happen. As I write this, Bizarre Town is out for delivery. Probably will be fine as it is shipping from here in Australia whereas the other was a global delivery thing Still they should ensure that they pack and handle properly. Looking forward to the second video on Bizarre Town - I love the puzzle.
LOL spoke too soon. Bizarre Town - I had sorted mostly and done the border (except for one piece I couldn't find), did the blue part with the pink/yellow border above the lake, did the top right corner and the red dresser, some of the left side brickwork, then did a piece count because I still hadn't found the edge piece - 5039, so I tipped back in box and counted again - 5039 - sat at dining table to sort to work and definitely didn't drop any, so I will definitely have to get a replacement from Amazon. At least they do that. Couple of peeling and bent pieces but not so bad that I'd send it back. I wish quality control was what it used to be -
@@heather6668I wonder if packaging a larger piece count puzzle is also a problem for bent pieces. Sorry about your issues - it is a lovely puzzle to do and hope you will enjoy it overall. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Oh I am looking forward to getting the replacement - arriving Wednesday. I love the puzzle and you would think they could make that bag for the pieces just slightly bigger so that they don't get bent. I believe Vicky had a few peeling/bent as well. With mine I could have lived with that but not with an edge missing. Looking forward to part 2 of your video on this one.
This is basically the Where's Waldo method where you look at a piece, and try to find where it goes. I would much rather do the "Clemens Habicht 5000 Colours Puzzle." The excessive detail in your puzzle would just overstimulate my brain, and would not be relaxing. Who gave you the puzzle? Friend? Family? Is it someone that you could tell them that you hated the puzzle that they picked?
I've looked at that puzzle loads but haven't taken the plunge to buy it - very different from this one. My neighbour's Paige and Sven who have the doggy named Pixie that plays with our girl Thora gave me the puzzle as a Christmas present. They knew exactly that this would be my style of puzzle.
You are so me: ,,Oh i know where that piece goes!" Right before i wanna stop and take a break... 😂🙈 It could be halfway, but it looks not like it... ☺🧡 🧩
Seriously, I try to stop myself once the clock hits midnight but I just must put in one more piece!! Maybe not quite halfway but according to my measuring math skills, I am close. Doesn't look like it though...
It was a pleasure to meet you in Valladolid, Donnalouise!! And I'm enjoying your videos so much 🥰🧩
So great to meet you as well! What a fun week! Can’t wait for next year! 💜🧩
I do something similar with busy puzzles. I do tend to pull out edges first so I can have a contained puzzle, then words if there are any and then I use the poster or the box to place the pieces in the right area then transfer to the puzzle table. And once you get to 1000 pcs it will be very quick!!! just filling in empty places.
Definitely once the edge was done, the puzzle felt just better and easier to work with. It was so spread out there at first.
Interesting technique I have not done exactly like this before but am currently doing a 1500 piece puzzle wth a forrest landscape that is basically all different greens. I decided to approach it by not sorting that much and started with the top left corner of the puzzle and am slowly working my way out from that ☺
Is it almost more like a gradient of green colours??
Question for both of you - how many puzzles do you have on the go at one time? I’m thinking that giant puzzles and also being a TH-camr (collars etc) might lead to multiple on the go at the same time.
Thank you - I will add to questions to answer in part 2 - unless you want me to answer here in comments before then. 💜🧩
That is also my favorite method for a very busy puzzle 😊. J’étire le plaisir quand j’aime l’image! ❤
J'adore!!! "J'étire le plaisir!" 💜🧩
I love this method, I have to try it, I usually rummage through the box and pick the ones I want.
Try it on a smaller 500 or 1000 piece puzzle. And I did pick and choose out of the box but definitely did not do a big mix - you can tell a lot more pieces were picked out from the right side of the puzzle.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Gonna try it on a 200 pieces, have to find a smaller box, since my small puzzles doesn't come with the bottom box, I just dump them on the table.
I have tried this method but I'm not crazy about it. I would use Vicki's more traditional method of sorting. Beautiful puzzle .
It's definitely not for everyone. I would recommend for busy puzzles only. I love how differently Vicky and I are both approaching this puzzle.
It is too bad that I'm not better at it. I'm doing a very busy puzzle called Alice's Wonderland .
Yes, yes, YEEEEEESSSS! I love the smell of a new cardboard puzzle!!!
Lots of small puzzle pieces can be overwhelming for me since I like pieces to be within reach. If I have to walk around too much it becomes difficult. Judy from addicted to puzzles is amazing at making massive size puzzles. It takes extra patience, extra love, extra perseverance. It is a mental and physical endurance exercise. Busy image puzzles that are large like in the 5K and up are a big project. Pat yourselves on the back ladies🙌🏻🧩❤️
Thank you!! Yes Judy has done quite a few large puzzles - a lot of puzzling work but so much fun!! 💜🧩
I love the way you do this puzzle, i like the happiness that you share😊
Love puzzeling too, but way to scared of a 5000 p one.
Wish you a lot of fun on your puzzeling journey.🎉
Greetings from Germany😊
Thank you!! I know my puzzling style isn't for everyone but this was such a beautiful busy puzzle, I just couldn't build it as I went.
I do most puzzles this way! I have very little patience for sorting. This puzzle looks fun!
Nice! What's the biggest piece count you've done this way?
Just 1500 pieces. I want to do bigger, but really have no place to do it. Planning on making a spot for this puzzle!
My hubby prefers to do the build as you sort method like you. He finds it in image and places it.
I would love to do a puzzle with someone that uses the same technique - not necessarily a speed puzzle but just puzzling. I wonder if we could work well together??
My son is a build as you go. I am doing my 3000 pc Karen Puzzles which is a challenge but my son will come in for 30 mins or so and he will place them where they go to help me or connect if he can......he is a great help when he helps. Lol
Having fun though.
Goodluck with your puzzling. 🎉
If you enjoy doing this puzzle, I strongly recommend the "Clemens Habicht 5000 Colours Puzzle" that Karen used in constructing this puzzle.
I love puzzling with friends! Great that your son is helping you. That one looks a bit tricky in places. Hope you are enjoying it.
I need to get a Colin Thompson puzzle! 💖 I finished my 1500 Springbok "Moonlit Village" a few days ago 😁 It took a few months, I think? Some days I might place 2 or 3 pieces and then walk away to avoid madness, lol. But it's so lovely and amazing quality! Lots of wonky donkey pieces. There was one missing piece, but that's not bad for a used puzzle from 2008 🤔 I loved the puzzle so much that I decided to keep it and do it again in a year or two.
That was a tough puzzle the Moonlit Village - time for something easier for sure. Well done on finishing it. There are some 500 and 1000 piece Colin Thompson puzzles - you should give one a go!
I tried this method with a 1500pc Jan van Haasteren puzzle which is generally just snow, sky, and people. I loved it. I put aside the sky and snow, and put on the board where the people would go. It gets exciting when you get to the part where you start putting pieces together. I'm building another JvH atm, but this one has more colors on it so I pick distinct colors together before building it. Different design, different approach. Love whichever way!
How wonderful! I need to do a JvH puzzle - never actually built one before. I think I would really enjoy the busyness of the images. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I'm sure you would. Images are always fun with JvH, and the quality is very good too!
Hi, I would follow your method only for the last hundred pieces. My favorite method is to make a serious and precise selection based on different characters of the reference, and then I almost always work by placing the piles in precise positions and finishing. I love your video as usual🧡
You will have to wait for the next video to see if I switched anything up a little bit
Great watching you and Vicky do this and see the difference in approaches. The puzzle looks great as well.
I’m just about to start a 2000 piece which is my first ever puzzle over 1000 pieces!
Good luck with the rest of the puzzle! 👍
I do love that we approached the puzzle so differently. Good luck on your first 2k - which one are you doing?
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Thanks! I’m doing the Ravensburger Paris Sunset puzzle.
Loved the image as soon as I seen it with different wee things here and there in it.
Took me ages to pick it as I wanted my first 2000 piece to be an image that I was attracted to rather than just one I picked quickly.
this collaboration was the most most fun... very very interesting to see how differently you both have tackled this puzzle...your method is veryyyyyyy confusing for me... I can see how you would be overwhelmed with this type of image. I have several Colin Thomspon... I love the images too.... I say bravo for doing his images in 5000 count.. I have not done over 1000.. I say what fun , looking forward to the next video... and Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you! How do you approach one of his 1000 piece puzzles? I am also glad that we built the same puzzle so very differently.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I never sort into piles, no matter the count I use large serving trays and flip every piece, then "sort & pick out " sections I want to do as I go... like Vickie does by color , texture etc..... picked from the trays its easy to see every piece and easy to do with a smaller count..no idea how I would do 5000 pieces.. you are brave...the way you puzzle from the box boogles my mind, ... I love love his detail..the whimsy.....I just found a rare Ravensburger by him called Flying Home 1000 piece thrifted for $2.99.... I found it in the square Ravensburger box, have found it on line in the rectangle box for $89.00.. Oh US dollars... Egads... again this idea between two puzzlers is the best so far.....
I love the image! Colin Thompson puzzles are very enjoyable, I really like the busyness of his puzzles. I build these types of puzzles the same way you are building it, find the image, place it on the board. I have just never build a puzzle this large, 2000 pc is the largest I have gone. Loving your explanation of things and the video itself! 🧩🧩🧩
Thank you! I will admit that it does get a bit more overwhelming for me at the start of such a large puzzle. But once I get past that first step and start building, absolutely love it!!! Love Colin's puzzles as well.
I’m doing this puzzle now too. I got my puzzle second hand and there is no poster in it. That adds to the challenge. I sorted edges and then a mix of sort by colour/ obvious pieces. I did solid yellow green and blue, houses, leaves etc. I’m using my dining table. If I have pieces I know go in a specific place I set them along the edge of the lid of the box and then I don’t have to go back and forth so much and know where the pieces go. I have a bunch of trays to sort with. I didn’t sort the whole puzzle but sort some, build the puzzle and then sort again.
Oh no poster, that’s unfortunate as the detail on the box is so small. I hope you are enjoying it and sounds like you have a good sorting plan like Vicky. It’s so much fun all assembled and being able to see all the fun details. Keep me posted on your progress. 💜🧩
You're amazing! It's fascinating watching this puzzle come together. I was overwhelmed when you dumped all the pieces in the box. LOL I think you are doing a fantastic job. I love Colin Thompsons images.
Thank you! It was overwhelming seeing all those pieces at first. I mean sometimes even a 1000 piece can overwhelm me so this was a little next level. I can't wait for you all to watch the next video - it comes together so nicely!
I'm speechless at your ability to assemble without sorting. I have never done that. Maybe, I'll try it sometime. I've only done 1000 pieces...not sure I'm ready to graduate to 5000. Loved watching YOU tackle it, however 😀
Give it a try on a busy 500 piece puzzle.
This method looks chaotic but you definitely made me curious about it; might have to try it with a 500 piece first. It was so interesting seeing you and Vicky tackle the same puzzle, I think Vicky's approach is more my style 😂
Definitely give it a go on a busy 500 piece puzzle. I definitely would not do this on a puzzle which was more sortable (at least more sortable in my opinion).
I did Ravensburger's "Grand Library" puzzle (1500 pieces), and really wished that it had been a 3000 or 5000 piece puzzle since there was so much detail. A big poster like this would have been so helpful for the completion of the Grand Library puzzle. I guess the joy of the "Grand Library" puzzle was discovering details that you really couldn't see on the box picture.
I'm glad this puzzle was as big as it was or else all the detail would have been lost. Grand Library is a beautiful puzzle - would love to do at 3000 pieces.
I tried this method a few months ago, just as a challenge to myself. It was this beautiful 1000 piece rainbow puzzle with a bunch of seahorses.
...I can't say I like it! x)
All of the loose pieces just floating around on the table absolutely stressed me out, I just did not enjoy it at all. Not my vibe at all, it's a WILD way of doing a puzzle, just chaos from start to finish! And I also didn't like that I had to study the image so hard.
Part of the fun of puzzling for me is discovering the image as I put the pieces together. I LOVE that you can work on one section and have no idea what it is, then you put in enough pieces and "zoom out" and it reveals itself to you. Love that :D
It's definitely not a puzzling method for everyone. I would always suggest that if you want to give it a first try, to do on a busy 500 piece puzzle for a start. But glad you gave it a go and now you know it's not for you. Not what I do with every puzzle, if I feel they are more sortable, then I definitely revert to doing so.
Every time I watch one of your videos and I hear "two pieces connected", before you can say "I'm going to keep these together", I've already shouted, 'No! Take them apart!" I can't do it. My brain doesn't let me keep them together. It is probably the weird perfectionist part of my brain.
😂😂I finally managed to convince Alison not to separate pieces when we are speed running a new unopened puzzle. She's actually taken pieces apart and then put them immediately back together.
Love the multi-table view!
Good! It was nice to try and show what I was doing.
I put this one together in Jan '18. I asked my sister to get it for me for Christmas of 2017. I didn't use the grid method I usually do on a large puzzle on this one because it has so many different scenes in it to break it into smaller areas. I don't like sorting pieces but will group them in a pile where they will go. I like to do puzzles the way you are, by finding where they go on the poster, and placing them on the table. It didn't take as long to assemble as the 5000 piece Artistic Mickey I did recently. I had to check to see if my Bizarre town was 5000 pieces, which it is. I posted on Vicky's video before I saw this one. Glad you are having a great time on this one.
This was so much fun to build and I can't wait for everyone to see the second video in the series - it comes all together so nicely! I think Artistic Mickey would be more difficult - at least for me - than Bizarre Town.
I've tried your pick and place method on a 1,000 piece puzzle recently and while I did manage to get a lot of pieces in the general area; I found the method to be kind of overwhelming for my mind. Perhaps I'll try again with a different image. But this puzzle looks like a real challenge and I can't wait to see it finished!
It works best on quite busy images. What puzzle did you try it on? I would suggest a busy 500 piece start for a start.
I tried it on one called Coastside Home by David Maclean done by Ceaco. Maybe the image wasn't busy enough when I attempted it.
@@hmmurray I looked up that image and I don't think it is the best for this method. I would have sorted most stuff an maybe built like the chairs or the bikes as I went but not much else. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Yeah I didn't think it was the right method for the image when I tried it. So I went about sorting things by objects which worked out much better in the long run. It's a wonderful learning process figuring out what puzzles require which method. I love it!
This is exactly how I've done the Awesome Alphabet puzzles. I might just have to try this one the same way in the near future. I bought it a couple years ago but haven't done it yet. I had just recently done Pepper Dreams by Schmidt, which is a portion of this image, so thought I should wait a while. So fun!
I've been wanting to try an Awesome Alphabet puzzle - I think Alison has one I should borrow at some point. Are you getting excited for Canadian Nationals?? It's quickly approaching!!! Can't wait to puzzle with you
@fortheloveofpuzzles April is going so quick. Just two weeks!!
I'm so glad you don't separate all pieces that are connected. I don't, either 😊. I can't do anything over 1000 pieces, and I think 1000 pieces are challenging. Enjoy you're videos !
Puzzle smarter, not harder is what I always say!
I like to do shape sorting so I like to separate connected pieces. Otherwise, it messes up the search process.
I love that you are placing the pieces as you find them. I would be interested in trying that but probably with a smaller puzzle. I usually try to do the border first and that gives me the work area but your tape does the same job. I have ordered this puzzle and look forward to doing it but not sure how I will tackle it yet. In the end, trying to work out on the poster where each piece goes still has to be done whether doing a full sort or placing as you go. Enjoyed the video immensely and understand the overwhelmed thing totally. I tip out a 5000 piece puzzle and think oh crap lol what have I done? I also watched Vicky's video and both methods have merit for this particular puzzle. Hope you enjoy doing the other half. Look forward to the next video.
I would suggest you try it on a smaller 500 piece busy puzzle to start. Please let Vicky and I know how you decide to tackle this puzzle. I can't wait for you all to see the second video.
Im trying the Donnalouise method of build-as-you-sort with my sons junior Pintoo puzzles. Its a really fun tactic but I get too overwhelmed on larger sets and I just end up sorting them, even though I hate sorting
It is definitely best to use it on a busy image which is difficult to sort. Have you tried it on a 300 or 500 busy image? I just couldn't bring myself to sort this 5000 piece - I don't know how Vicky found the patience!
Hi Donnalouise! This was one of my favorite puzzles by far - it was the continual surprise of the little characters appearing I enjoyed. And the book titles!!! It was interesting to me that the parts that seem to come together first for both you and Vicky were the same for me - particularly the bathtub corner! I don't know that I would do the "pick a piece and place it method." Once a puzzle is in progress I will sometimes take a long time to examine the image for a single piece, but overall would feel too time-consuming to start that way. I'm about to start the Educa "Entering the Bedroom" so I might try that to see what I think. I do and don't like the initial sort... with a giant puzzle I tend to spread it out over several days so I don't rush into less helpfully organized piles.
The book titles are so much fun! I don't mind sorting but always get a bit overwhelmed when it's just a large piece count puzzle. That bathtub area was very distinct and so perhaps easier to pick those pieces out. It also takes up a pretty good portion of the puzzle compared to the other sections.
I hate to sort so I am all for this method. I was wondering what your puzzling board is made of? It didn't look like cardboard. You may have shared during the video but I wanted to post in case I forgot.
The boards are MDF so sturdy but not too heavy. I got the 4.5mm thickness which makes them sturdy enough.
@fortheloveofpuzzles Awesome. I am definitely going to do that. I tried foam board for a 5000 pc puzzle but it just didn't feel sturdy enough. Thanks for all the puzzle fun!
I've done the pick a piece and place it with some jigsaws. I did that with the 500 piece Student Days which is quite busy. To start with it can be a bit haphazard but as more pieces go on the board it all starts pulling together. No doubt it will look great when it is finished. I'm currently battling with the Circle of Colors Rainbow Cake jigsaw. Look forward to the next instalment of Bizarre Town.
Some of those Circle of Colors puzzle are really quite difficult. I did the Rainbow Cake as a pairs and it was tricky indeed! Student Days is a fun busy puzzle - not as busy as this one but still quite fun to do as a pick and place.
This is interesting way to do a busy puzzle but I have cat so this is not going to work for me . I also love large and colorful puzzles . Saw your video and got the Clementoni Downtown puzzle . Thank you . I got a Pintoo The Night House Maze by Tom Parker , it’s a 4000 pieces and you should check it out . Keep up the good work .
I'm lucky that my dogs leave my puzzles alone so I can puzzle at will with them. But I can see how a cat would not allow for build-as-you-sort style. And that piece goes on the floor and then this pieces HAHAHA That Pintoo puzzle you mentioned is a fun busy one which I know I would love! 💜🧩
I have this puzzle and my first thought process is… where do I even have space for it all?? Good luck!!
It is big but so well worth it! Hope you can find a big enough surface to build it on or do in sections and then connect on the floor.
Hi, Donnalouise,
I live in Poland and I am a puzzle enjoyer as well. I enjoy your videos and somehow I usually like to watch them before sleep - I'm not saying your videos are boring, they just have some calming and relaxing quality and they really help me to fall asleep.
My question is not really for Vicky (I love her videos as well), but for you - any plans on going back to Educa 42000 puzzle? I know you had some image quality issues with it, but I plan to do it myself somewhere in the future and just the idea of leaving it unsolved in the middle is a little unmotivating. It must come from my personality - I love to observe things being completed or filled (I think that is why I love jigsaw puzzles so much) and I think I couldn't be able to get rid of the thought of the uncompleted puzzle.
As for this puzzle - Your sorting method for this puzzle is very... interesting and original :D Being honest I love it - somehow it make this experience very satistying for me - again, it must be my personality quirk. You should count the steps you took, moving the pieces from poster to the table. I'm sure it was a nice workout.
Much love from a polish fan
Hi!! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I love that you fall asleep while listening to my videos 😊 I hope I don’t disappoint you but I did one last video on the Educa puzzle - I took it all apart and sold it. It found a new home in Australia - I just wasn’t enjoying it at all. The video is the last one posted in the Around the World playlist. And I agree, I should have used a pedometer to count all my steps! I didn’t sit down once while going this puzzle. Love from Aotearoa New Zealand 💜🧩
I enjoyed watching this so much that I bought the puzzle. I am planning the set up space, and lighting. May I ask where I would look for the same lighting you are using? (I'm in Canada). I did a search on top down tripod lighting but don't see yours anywhere. Thanks so much!
So pleased you bought the puzzle and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. As for lighting, I just have a ceiling light diffused with a white pillow case and two tripod lights with diffusing umbrellas that I bought online here in New Zealand. I have a makeshift top-down tripod for my camera. I don’t know if you need diffused lighting - that is for my filming to avoid glare. You may be able to use some floor lamps. As for where to buy, photography shops would have the diffused tripod lights but floor lamps could be bought nearly anywhere. Let me know how you get on with the puzzle. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Thank you so much. Makeshift is a great idea! I'm going to arrange a setup - not sure exactly when - and invited some of my puzzle friends on a local puzzle group to join me. I think we would all enjoy that. I'll keep you posted. ps Also bought Ravensburger 5000 piece Fantastic Street. It's a nice puzzle!
Simple question, but does the diffused lighting help with reducing bright spots on the puzzle from the room lights? Had spot-lights in my old puzzle room and those reflected in my puzzles while I puzzled so I had bright spots on the puzzle which made the puzzling harder.
Overall (a question for you both) in the absense of natural sunlight, how do you best, orbhow do you prefer to, light your puzzle area to avoid bright reflected spots on the puzzle while puzzling?
Diffuse lighting helps HEAPS!! Without it, I get like a round spotlight effect on my puzzle which isn't good for filming. And the diffuse light works well on puzzle with a lot more glare and shine on the pieces. I now can't puzzle without my diffuse lighting. Natural light to me is too unpredictable and makes for bad filming and puzzling so I prefer to try and control my lighting.
Hi Donnaqlouise - not to do with this puzzle but I picked up my 13,500 piece Trefl Cities Beyond the Clouds from delivery hub today and I have to return it. Amazon box ripped down all four sides, 6 of the 9 bags of pieces were open so most of the puzzle pieces were just lying loose in the bottom of the puzzle box. Seriously I don't know why they can't package properly and take care of something that cost almost $200 here. Hopefully they will do better with this Bizarre Town which is arriving tomorrow.
Oh no that’s terrible! Will they send you a new copy? I love the purples in that puzzle - maybe one to add to my Wishlist?? Let me know in what state Bizarre Town arrives - hopefully better than this! 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I read a few reviews on Amazon that say the Disney one arrived with open bags and pieces all over the box etc., so I think I'll just take the refund and not worry about another. Shame as I do love the puzzle. Oh well, these things happen. As I write this, Bizarre Town is out for delivery. Probably will be fine as it is shipping from here in Australia whereas the other was a global delivery thing Still they should ensure that they pack and handle properly. Looking forward to the second video on Bizarre Town - I love the puzzle.
LOL spoke too soon. Bizarre Town - I had sorted mostly and done the border (except for one piece I couldn't find), did the blue part with the pink/yellow border above the lake, did the top right corner and the red dresser, some of the left side brickwork, then did a piece count because I still hadn't found the edge piece - 5039, so I tipped back in box and counted again - 5039 - sat at dining table to sort to work and definitely didn't drop any, so I will definitely have to get a replacement from Amazon. At least they do that. Couple of peeling and bent pieces but not so bad that I'd send it back. I wish quality control was what it used to be -
@@heather6668I wonder if packaging a larger piece count puzzle is also a problem for bent pieces. Sorry about your issues - it is a lovely puzzle to do and hope you will enjoy it overall. 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Oh I am looking forward to getting the replacement - arriving Wednesday. I love the puzzle and you would think they could make that bag for the pieces just slightly bigger so that they don't get bent. I believe Vicky had a few peeling/bent as well. With mine I could have lived with that but not with an edge missing. Looking forward to part 2 of your video on this one.
This is basically the Where's Waldo method where you look at a piece, and try to find where it goes. I would much rather do the "Clemens Habicht 5000 Colours Puzzle." The excessive detail in your puzzle would just overstimulate my brain, and would not be relaxing. Who gave you the puzzle? Friend? Family? Is it someone that you could tell them that you hated the puzzle that they picked?
I've looked at that puzzle loads but haven't taken the plunge to buy it - very different from this one. My neighbour's Paige and Sven who have the doggy named Pixie that plays with our girl Thora gave me the puzzle as a Christmas present. They knew exactly that this would be my style of puzzle.
You are so me: ,,Oh i know where that piece goes!" Right before i wanna stop and take a break... 😂🙈 It could be halfway, but it looks not like it... ☺🧡 🧩
Seriously, I try to stop myself once the clock hits midnight but I just must put in one more piece!! Maybe not quite halfway but according to my measuring math skills, I am close. Doesn't look like it though...