Vicky Makes and Builds

What is your name?

Vicky

Where do you live?

Stirling in Scotland, UK

How did you start your puzzle journey?

I have been doing puzzles since I was a child. Loved them all my life. I began my YouTube  ( Vicky Make and Builds) puzzle journey in 2021 after setting up a channel for my children and deciding that I wanted to try it as well. I have never looked back!

Do you have a favourite piece count?

At the moment – 2000 pieces

What is your preferred piece cut? Random or ribbon & why?

Probably ribbon, because I am more used to it.

What are your favourite puzzle brands?

Clementoni and Ravensburger are two of my favourite big brands. Favourite smaller brands are Art and Fable, Cloudberries, and of course, Tania Wicks Puzzles.

What is your favourite TW puzzle?

Citrus Burst! I love the colours, the clarity of the photography, the vibrancy of the image. It was so much fun to build.

If you could meet anyone in the puzzle community who would that be and why?

I don’t think I could pick just one person. I would love to meet all of my fellow puzzle YouTubers. If we could all sit in a room and puzzle together and chat that would be so much fun. I have also met some people overseas that I have become closer to through puzzling and would love to meet them too.

What else do you enjoy other than puzzling?

I enjoy Ballroom and Latin dancing, roller skating, spending time with my kids, swimming, playing the Nintendo and watching movies.

What is your puzzling strategy… for example do you do border first, are you a sorter?

Depends entirely on the puzzle – if it’s giant puzzle I will sort definitely. I will usually do the edge first, unless the edge is more difficult than the middle for some reason. Under normal circumstances my default puzzle method is to shuffle through the pieces, picking out similar textures and colours and just build away from there. I find this “shuffle” method to be the most relaxing way to puzzle.

Do you have any tips for challenging puzzles?

Detailed sorting helps with challenging puzzles, first by texture and colour. Then sorting by shape would be my next tip.

Do you have a favourite puzzle theme?

Not necessarily, but my favourite puzzles to build tend to be high piece count puzzles, with vibrant images. I do like animal puzzles and I enjoy Disney puzzles. Gradients and collage style puzzles are also fun.

What’s your favourite type of puzzle, eg wooden, rectangular, circular?

The traditional, rectangular, cardboard puzzle. But I do enjoy wooden puzzles and shaped puzzles too.

How many puzzles in your collection?

79 in total

How many puzzles in your to do pile?

I have 37 still to do, 2 started but not finished.