When a Puzzle is a Work of Art

In times of turmoil and too much noise, jigsaw puzzles give people a chance to relax, unplug and make the world fit better one piece at a time.

“When you do a puzzle, you turn all that stuff off, “Judi Brooks, the owner of PTB Puzzle Co said. “You just focus on doing a puzzle together, having fun, talking, laughing. That’s the biggest part of puzzles that I like doing.”

Brooks said she has spent her whole life solving puzzles. She admits she is a jigsaw snob and knows a good quality puzzle when she sees one.

The problem was Brooks wasn’t seeing many puzzles that were up to par.

“I’d open a puzzle box and notice the pieces were so thin, “she said. “Thickness of the puzzle pieces are what make great puzzles. Also, the finish and the representation of the artwork. Those are the things that make a big difference in a puzzle.”

Brooks’ pickiness about puzzles is what led her to design her own line of brain teasers for her company PTB Puzzle Co.

“Of course, when I started out, I had no idea how to make a puzzle,” Brooks said. “Anyone can make a puzzle. You can make print on demand puzzles, but the quality really is not good. So, I started thinking how does someone make a quality puzzle.”

Her first challenge was choosing which artwork to use for the puzzle.

“I went into Gifted by the Sea and saw Cathleen Engelsen’s prints,” Brooks said. “There was one of Flamingo Miniature Golf in Ship Bottom, NJ which is where I went growing up and took my son to. I picked up the print and the first thing I thought was this would make an awesome puzzle. So many of Cathleen’s prints are about memories. Her prints aren’t just about artwork. They are a piece of a story.”

Brooks did some research and found out it was possible to make puzzles with licensed artwork from the artist.

“My first step was to reach out to Cathleen by email,” Brooks said. “I told her I was thinking about looking into licensing her artwork and asked her if she would be interested in talking to me. She was very receptive. We went through some of her prints and talked about what would be popular with people. She agreed to let me license two of her pieces called Flamingo Golf and Fantasy Island Amusement Park.”

The second piece of the puzzle for Brooks had to do with the process of putting one together for production.

“I started looking into different puzzle manufacturing companies,” she said. “I had some pretty strong feelings about what I wanted such as the box to go with the puzzle. I wanted the puzzle pieces to be thick. I found a company overseas which I didn’t want to do but to have them printed in the US would have been too cost prohibitive. I found out about 70% of all puzzles are manufactured overseas.”

The learning curve that went into producing a puzzle prototype for a manufacturer was something Brooks wasn’t aware of. Her full-time career as a nurse practitioner did not prepare her to be a designer.

“I had to learn a lot,” she said. “Manufacturers expect to be working with publishers who know what they are doing. I had to learn Adobe Illustrator which enabled me to make text for the box and the logo. It took a lot of time, but I didn’t mind. I just wanted to have a quality puzzle.”

In the end, the steps between design and distribution – printing, cutting, and quality control – were worth the hard work.

“When the puzzles were delivered, I was so happy,” Brooks said. “I’d spent so many hours agonizing over this, but everything was perfect, the artwork looked great, the pieces fit together and the box turned out well.”

Brooks said her puzzles provide more than just the 500 finely crafted pieces she includes in every Signature Collection Puzzle.

“Puzzles are a good mental work out that’s beneficial for your brain,” she said. “They lessen stress and give a sense of achievement once you finish it.”

Also included in each box is a lifeline to a lifetime of memories families and friends make when they gather around a puzzle to piece together.

“The experience of putting together a puzzle with the people you love helps you make memories,” Brooks said. You’re putting a memory together piece by piece. You’re talking, you’re laughing and it’s just a whole experience.”

Brooks said the artwork she chooses for each of her puzzles is more than just a pretty picture. They are pieces of art that connect the artist to the person putting together the puzzle.

“Cathleen was delighted with the whole process which means a lot to me,” Brooks said. “Artists capture memories. It’s their art that makes my puzzles special. When I think about choosing a piece of artwork to turn into a puzzle it’s more about the emotions and memories it brings to me and to someone else who can revisit memories.”

All PTB Puzzle Co puzzles are currently available at The Haymarket Hobbies and Toys in Ship Bottom NJ, Gifted by the Sea in Brant Beach, NJ, and Beach Reads in Surf City NJ. She also does pop-up events on the island. The dates and locations for them can be found on her Instagram account. Upcoming releases for her new puzzles she has planned will be announced throughout the year.

Images supplied by Judi Brooks

Contact Information

Judi Brooks

Email: PT*********@***il.com

484-554-9182

Instagram: @ptbpuzzleco

Facebook: PTB Puzzle Co

Cathleen Pearce Engelsen

234 N 19th Street, Surf City, NJ 08008

www.cathleenengelsen.com 

609-494-5079

Email: ar***********@*ol.com

Instagram:@artbyengelsen