The story of a Dream Puzzle ... How I ended 2022!

January 17, 2023

A friend just ask me:

What was my best accomplissement of 2022? What is my goal for 2023 ?

Today, Let me just tell you a story …

How I ended 2022!

First you have to know that I absolutely do not like to brag about myself…but for this story I will change that for few minutes.

Why?

Because I was extremely happy/proud with my result.

Because it’s a nice story.

And because the customer told me « you have to share it, be proud of yourself »

so here it is: The story of a Dream Puzzle :

Back in October 2022, the customer, I will say « the customer » because she/he wants to stay anonymous.

So back in October, the customer contacted me for a custom order of several puzzles, with the special request of cutting them all differently and with pieces not too small. Because the customer has several health issues and special needs.

This order was not even at the customer door, that the customer contacted me again, about a custom order for a dream puzzle. Choose me to do it, just for that I was already off the ground on a cloud.

After searching for images, the customer told me which image the customer really liked.

But, it was a piece from a really well known artist, Steve Sundram.

I explained that I couldn’t do it without the artist authorisation. The next day the customer told me « I contacted the artist ». I said « at the best he will say yes »

and he did…..The very next day, Steve Sundram himself, kindly replied to the customer and accepted to give me the right to use his image for one puzzle, and only one….so don’t ask me to redo it … I won’t ;-)

I exchange several emails with Steve, he is really approchable, he is a really nice human being. He was happy to help the customer in the dream puzzle.

Now it was time to work with the customer for the details, about the size, the whimsies, and more. I wanted to know what the customer like in life to have an idea of what to do.

The customer wanted a big puzzle, dream of life puzzle. So 13x19 it was decided.

With two layers.

After, a lot of back and forth messages, the customer told me to just to take my time, feel the inspiration. The customer didn’t want to see anything so the customer asked me not too share any of the process.

I definitely took my time, It was now November, I was preparing the Holiday season, but the customer was so so patient, thank you again, I know you are reading this ;-) .

Steve Sundram, the artist, contacted me, asking for some pictures, and I told him I will absolutely share them with him once done…I was at that time, barely started!!!

Finally, my design, drawings, whimsies were ready, I was still busy, but started to cut it…and busy again so didn’t work on it for few days, and lucky I was. One morning I woke up with another idea…Tree of Life…I needed to incorporate a huge Tree of Life in the customer dream puzzle. Like in a meditation process, or a Reiki session, I was called to do it.

It worked, my cuts were not too advanced yet, I re - did all my drawings, planning the whimsies differently, and there I was happy.

December came, my Holiday shows were over, I could concentrate only on this beauty. After few weeks of work, again I took my time, I was careful not to cut the pieces too small. The first layer was done.

I finished the second layer pretty soon after that.

As a joke since the beginning the customer was saying, « and maybe a third layer????? », so without saying anything to the customer I did a 3 rd layer.

The customer told me not to rush for Christmas, but I really wanted to be done and hoping to ship it for the customer to have it under the tree.

Mother Nature decided otherwise, it was done, it was packed, it was ready to ship, but…I had to wait because of a huge storm, and we both didn’t want to take any risk with the package.

So finally, it arrived, December 30th, on the customer door step.

The customer said « I couldn’t wait to open it » « Oh, you have to share it, the pieces are so beautiful ».

I told the customer that I took a lot af pictures, told that I shared them with Steve Sundram, that he loved it and was amazed by the cuts.

The customer doesn’t know when the puzzle will be put together , so at the request, I shared all my pictures to the customer. And here the best reviews of my year:

Before seeing the pictures:

« Ohhh Isabelle..you did such a gorgeous cutting I opened the first box and was speechless opened the second box and the tears were sliding down my cheeks...especially when I saw the dream whymsy all I could do was let the pieces run through my fingers looking at how beautiful they are.i cannot express in words how much I love this puzzle and I didn't even put it together yet but it is just everything about it..the kindness of the artist for giving us the rights to 1 puzzle your enthusiastic imagination and love that went in to cutting all the things that I mentioned to you that I love in my life..It is more than a puzzle to me..It is " My Dream "

After seeing the pictures:

« Ohh Isabelle...you truly cut a masterpiece!!! »

In this story, I found myself able to create a dream, I trust and push myself in an amazing opportunity to create a big project.

Found a really kind loving artist ready to help a customer realizing a dream.

Most of all I found a friend in the customer and I now really hope that one day our path will cross in person.

We deserve to hug in person . XOXO (you know who you are ;-)

ISabelle

So here now, let me brag about this puzzle with pictures…

3 layers, 669 Mi-large pieces, 80 whimsies, One Big Tree of Life!