Frequently Asked Questions

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Are there images in your puzzles that have special significance to you?

Absolutely, that's my favorite part of designing is putting those little touches in. Here's a quick list of those easter eggs:

• In MN Trivia, the red barn is a replica of my parents' barn on the farm where I grew up, and it still stands. 

• I have lived in Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, and New Ulm, so I wanted to feature all those cities in MN Trivia.

• The green crockpots in MN Hotdishes are based on my mom's old crockpot, which she still has, and always gets too hot.

• Goulash, on the MN Hotdish puzzle, is a nod to my childhood meal, often eaten at our house.

• The farm in MN Not-So-Nice is based on our family farm, where my parents still live, including the garden and groundhog.

• My husband is a wildland firefighter, so we wanted a forest fire in the MN Not-So-Nice design.

• The yellow lab in the MN Landmark puzzle is my in-laws' dog, Greta.

• The yellow cat in the MN Landmark puzzle is my parents' cat, Rusty.

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Do you offer replacement pieces for puzzles?

The short answer is no, but here's why: In most cases, that piece eventually turns up, under a table leg, inside a sleeve cuff, on the seat of a chair. (Even when you’re sure you checked everywhere!) It certainly happens to me once in a while. Larger puzzle companies sometimes can replace a single piece because they produce puzzles in massive quantities. They might have digital maps of each puzzle’s layout or a warehouse of extras to pull from. But as a small business, I don’t have that kind of setup; every puzzle is produced in limited runs, and I don’t have spare inventory or the machinery to reproduce individual pieces. To replace one piece, I’d have to open and sacrifice an entire new puzzle from that batch, which just isn’t sustainable for a small operation. That’s why I can’t offer replacement pieces or full puzzle replacements for missing pieces. I truly wish I could, but I hope understanding the process helps explain why!

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Do you draw all the illustrations yourself?

On most of the puzzles, yes. My sister, Gayle, is an accomplished illustrator, and we collaborated on the MN Trivia and the MN Not-So-Nice puzzles. My mom, Susan, also an artist, helps with ideas, color choices, and final proofing. My husband Mike claims a few of the drawings on the MN Trivia puzzle. He's particularly proud of the Greyhound bus and the iron ore cart. 

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How long does it take to design a puzzle?

It's really hard to nail that down because each design is so different. Some puzzles require extensive research, and others just seem to roll off the Apple Pencil. All of my puzzles have a theme that requires thought and playing around with different ideas. Sometimes I will spend half a day on an illustration just to decide it doesn't fit, and I end up not using it. My best answer is probably that it takes months to design a puzzle. 

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Can I hire you to design a puzzle for me or my store?

I wish that I had the time to take on commissioned designs for puzzles, but I just can't fit it all in!​​​​