Puzzle Pastime
What's your name?
Hi! I'm Gaby.
Where are you from?
I'm from WA, USA.
When did you start puzzling?
I started puzzling when I was around 12 years old. I was obsessed with fantasy puzzles. Think lots of unicorns and dragons. I used to glue my puzzles together and then staple them to my wall. I know. I swear I don't do that anymore! I fell out of puzzling when I joined the Army. Believe me, I am kicking myself for that right now, because I was stationed in Germany for 2 years! I was 3 hours away from Ravensburg! I got back into puzzling seriously in 2018. I went into my local library one day and noticed they had a puzzle swap section. I took one home and I haven't stopped since.
What is your favorite piece count and why?
I generally prefer 1000 piece puzzles because they allow me to spend the perfect amount of time with my puzzle. It generally takes me about 3 days to finish a puzzle of that size. However, I also enjoy a 500 piece, as I can finish that amount in a day.
What is your favorite type of art?
I tend to gravitate towards bright, colorful puzzle art. I love gradients and whimsical images. It's a good thing Soon started making puzzles, because her designs tick all the boxes! I am not a fan of repeating patterns or real life photography images. Sometimes I'll choose a complex image to assemble, but I usually do medium difficulty puzzles.
What makes you keep puzzling and how often do you puzzle?
I puzzle every day, usually after my goblins go to sleep. I try not to stay up too late puzzling, but so far I am fairly miserably in that aspect. I'm very much a solo puzzler. I enjoy that time that I get to myself and I love the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a puzzle. However, I have been known to let a goblin place a piece or two, especially if they're being particularly adorable.
What is your go to drink/snack when you puzzle?
I usually drink water or tea while I puzzle and will eat any type of hand food! I should probably snack on more fruit while I puzzle, but my choices are usually WAY more unhealthy than that. I have been known to have a snack stash next to my puzzling table. One morning I found a stack of Oreos there. Apparently, I must have forgotten them during a intense puzzle shesh.
Tell us a little bit about your other joys.
When I'm not puzzling, I enjoy reading. I especially like fantasy and sci/fi, but I've been trying to branch out lately. I love hiking. We have amazing trails here and my family adores getting out into nature. I bake and cook a lot as well. I have the occasional failure, but usually I can manage a pretty tasty meal! Every now and then I document my culinary shenanigans on my puzzling IG stories. It makes me happy if I can make somebody have a belly laugh during their day.