What to say, what to say...
So… how does a shop like this get started?
Well, in my case — it all started with a jigsaw puzzle. Yep, just one. I’d rediscovered a love for puzzles, and realized how good it felt to have something hands-on and satisfying to do. So I thought, “Why not make one myself?”
I designed a killer fire phoenix using Midjourney and was all set to get it printed. A friend suggested I try Printify — and just like that, I tumbled down the rabbit hole. Within a day, I went from “I want a puzzle” to “Hey, I’m selling mugs and T-shirts now!”
Somewhere in the chaos, my wife (the real MVP) said, “Why not try sublimating your own puzzles?” Naturally, I still hadn’t made that phoenix puzzle… but I did start sublimating tumblers instead. Because… why not? Totally logical next step.
Here’s the twist — I loved it. Seeing the smiles from friends, family, and customers? That lit me up more than the fire phoenix ever could. I’ve made hundreds of tumblers by now, and somewhere along the way I thought, “Okay, it’s finally puzzle time!”
So, of course… I bought a laser cutter.
Since I’ve been woodworking since junior high (I even built my youngest son’s crib by hand), I figured this would finally be my puzzle moment. But nope. No puzzle yet. Turns out, laser cutting custom gifts, ornaments, and engraved pieces is even more fun — and way more fulfilling.
So here we are.
What started with a simple puzzle turned into something way better: the chance to create joy, one handmade piece at a time. If my shop gives you something that makes you smile — well, that’s the best puzzle piece of all.
