Tetris shaped jigsaw puzzle?

December 11, 2006 2:19 PM

Every heard of a non interlocking "jigsaw" puzzle using tetris-like pieces?

My girlfriend is looking for a type of picture puzzle that she used to do about 10 years ago. It was a series of jigsaw puzzles that used pieces shaped similar to blocks in Tetris. Ok, so technically it's a tiling puzzle since the pieces don't interlock.

She says the puzzles were called "Mosaics" (Not to be confused with photomosaic puzzles, which are a large collection of photographs that make a larger image). The finished product was a rectangle that usually showed paintings of country scenes, but the style of puzzle is what she's looking for. I've had no luck searching for new ones of this kind, has anyone heard of them?

posted by ALongDecember to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 answers total)

Could they have been Tuco puzzles? They are sold on eBay.
posted by plokent at 2:51 PM on December 11, 2006

Like Pentominoes?
posted by yeti at 3:17 PM on December 11, 2006

I know exactly what she's talking about! Here's one being sold on eBay. All the ones I ever saw were of Charles Wysocki paintings-- I don't know if there were non-Wysocki ones.
posted by Shoeburyness at 3:52 PM on December 11, 2006

Though it made me think first of tangrams, I know the sort of puzzle you're talking about. And, as a side note, they're pretty easy to make if you have access to a jig or sabre saw (jigsaw, natch). You find a print on a laminate board, usually about an inch or so thick. You draw out your lines using a straight edge, and then you can cut it yourself, do a tiny bit of sanding and have a fun puzzle to give as a gift. They were one of my favorite high school woodshop projects, to the extent that while I vaguely realized that people sold them, I've never seen one for sale myself.
These days, it's easy enough to get a photo printed onto moderately decent wood (you can use pine), then cut it up yourself and surprise your girlfriend with a great present.
posted by klangklangston at 4:21 PM on December 11, 2006

Shoeburyness has it! Thank you so much for the answers everyone, even the "create your own non-jigsaw puzzle with a jigsaw" idea. She's going to love it.
posted by ALongDecember at 6:04 PM on December 11, 2006