OK, I’m finally getting with the program, the Opera Program, that is. It’s taken me only 35 years to realize that an opera puzzle might be popular with some of our customers. So below is my first stab at one, Don Giovanni, which was introduced last week. What helped inspire this is our local opera company, Opera North, which is now doing Don Giovanni. Martha and I are going tomorrow night! Check out our home page for more info on this puzzle.

Food for Thought

Great minds think alike. Isn’t that how the saying goes? Let’s test that theory, shall we?

We’re always striving to come up with something new here at Stave. Earlier this summer I was working with Steve and Molly on the design for the 35th anniversary commemorative puzzle. We were figuring out the list of the 35 elements to include in the puzzle: whammies, color-line cutting, phony corner, TroubleMaker, Trick…you get the idea. It was then and there I decided to retire before we hit our 60th anniversary. That’s a lot of stuff to get into a puzzle!!

Occasionally we have a contest on the PuzzleNuts site where we show you a new puzzle design and ask for title suggestions. You always have such great ideas. We even took it one step further when Stave artist, Molly Delaney, drew some cute little donkeys that we couldn’t figure out what to do with. Instead of racking my brain, we threw it out to our puzzlers and your suggestions were awesome! Due to your ingenuity, Donkey Tonk will be coming your way, soon!

This tired mind needs your help, again. Now I want you to do it all. I’m going to sit back and let you do the work! (What took me so long to think of this?!) You can design your very own Stave puzzle!

Give me the theme

Give me the look

Give me the title

If you can come up with the fixings for a new Stave Teaser puzzle, we’ll do it! Now that you’re doing my job, I’m going on vacation!

Jennifer- Many hands make light work! Lighten my load!!

P.S. See details on the below

REMEMBER! Email ME at Jennifer@stave.com with your puzzle suggestions.

Yes, it really is Moore chocolates… from D.M. who came to our 35th Party. Thank you, D.M.! We love Lake Champlaign chocolates.  (back row: me, Martha, Jenn, Lori. Front row: Megan and Susan.)

Dear Marc F.,
I was on vacation last week and nary a crumb was left. What kind of people do I work with?!
Sign me: Starving in VT.
Jennifer

We just got some chocolates from our friend Marc F. in exchange for some hints. After we finished the chocolates we laughed with glee! Hehe.

Best Laid Plans

I have the best intentions to begin working on this newsletter well in advance of when it needs to be ready. But does that happen? No! Why doesn’t it happen? Because there’s so darn much going on around here!

I start the day by doing a quick overview of what’s on my desk. Freshly cut puzzles that need to be listed as In-stock on the web site, new orders that have come in and need to be checked over. While I’m doing these things I’ll have several interruptions. “Jenn, can you check this puzzle for me?” “What do you think about this edge idea?” “I think I messed up. Help!” These are all things I love doing, especially checking a puzzle before a cutter begins crafting. It gives me a great opportunity to see what’s going on in their minds. I work with creative geniuses!

I often spend part of my day working on new designs. Molly Delaney might pop in to drop off the finished art for the latest Teaser, Susan Greenleaf may call to go over a new design. Steve is usually cooking up something new, too, that needs to be discussed.

If I’m really lucky, I’ll talk or email with one of you. I love to hear how you liked your latest puzzle or help you pick your next one. Oftentimes I feel like I’m talking with an old friend. Last week I spoke with several people who puzzled with us at our anniversary Shindig and I also gave a tour of Stave to a group of four lovely ladies. What fun women! We chatted and laughed it up while I showed them around. I don’t know who had the better time, me or them. I was tempted to take the afternoon off and join them in the rest of their ventures for the day but the saw was calling me. Puzzlers. You are awesome people!

Life doesn’t get much better than this!

We love to incorporate the theme of the image with our cutting, both on the edge and in the interior pieces. You never know what you’ll find in a Stave! Areas of solid color lend themselves to beautiful sculpts and fanciful irregular edges.

© Stave Puzzles, Inc., Norwich, Vermont. Stave Puzzles, Inc. owns the copyrights in the puzzle designs, Silhouette designs,and Custom Edge designs of the puzzles

appearing in this mailing. Trick, Monkey Fist, Crazy Claw, Teaser, Twister, Tumbler, TroubleMaker, the Clown and Stave are trademarks of Stave Puzzles, Inc.

It’s Summertime and the livin’ is easy, isn’t that what Billie Holiday sang? It may be easy for some but summer can cause a few problems for us. We’re a small shop, just 10 saws, and as much as we love our jobs we do have to take a little time off every now and then. When do most people want a vacation? Summer! So, if your puzzles take a little longer to get to you, that’s why! What have your favorite cutters been up to? Ginny had a couple of weeks with her hubby and grand kids, Barb traveled the wild west and Di took some nice long drives to nowhere in particular with her husband. A bunch more of us will be in and out for the next few weeks, me included, so please be patient with us. We’ll get your puzzles cut, I promise!

In a surprise visit this wonderful customer from Richmond, Virginia popped in for a visit. She and her husband are staying at nearby Twin Farms resort. She regularly comes to our Blackberry Farm Party in February.

Below is photo of party goers on stairway at Woodstock Inn. Each participant was given a commemorative green t-shirt while Stave staff wore blue tees. Bottom photo is dessert. We all got a kick out of the clown cookie! YUM!

xxx

Tired But Happy

I’m tired. We’re all tired. Don’t feel sorry for us because it’s a great feeling! We had an amazing time last weekend at the Woodstock Inn, celebrating our 35th anniversary with a fabulous group of puzzlers. We’re lucky enough to be able to talk with a large number of you when you call but we don’t get to meet our puzzlers very often. Not only does a party give us an opportunity to get some face time with our fans, it gives you a chance to spend time with others who are just as crazy about puzzling as you! Plus, you get to work as many puzzles as you want !!!

Wild Times

We had a bunch of arrivals Friday night for quiet puzzling but the official festivities began Saturday morning. Paula and Bri, our Star Party Planners, organized a bunch of games to keep everyone puzzled throughout the day. Our guests were challenged with games like Guess the Rebus, Scrambled Names and Guess the Silhouettes, among others. We were handing out prizes left and right!

Big Winners

In honor of our 35th Anniversary we gave away over $35,000 in prizes. We had prizes as simple as Stave bumper stickers and note pads and biggies like a $3,500 gift certificate. The Grand prize of the weekend was the complete Final Edition of our Dollhouse Village, worth over $25,000!! Congratulations go out to Y.Y., Annandale, VA who won the gift certificate and P.A., Glen Head, NY who won Edition #100/#100 of the Dollhouse Village. Thank you all so much for coming. You are what make our jobs fun and I hope you all walked away feeling like you were a winner. I hope to see you at the next party!

Jennifer