Harmony

I've been waiting to blog about this puzzle for a while.  I didn't think I'd get to it until IPP, but as luck would have it, there was a puzzle day in HK and I found it for sale.  We all know how cheap I am and how much I hate to pay for that shipping!  :)

I first came across this puzzle in Japan back in 2010 when Dmitry Pevnitskiy and  Kirill Grebnev took the Puzzler's Award AND the Jury first prize in the design competition.  I handed over US$100 and placed my name on the waiting list.  I figured I would get it eventually, and in Berlin the following year it was in my hands.  It's a lovely puzzle, and is still available from the designer.  

Hanayama released the puzzle this past spring and it's available from shops for a reasonable price.  So what is the difference and which is which?  In the photo above, the Hanayama version is on the top.  It has 2 pieces that have been fused together, unlike the original which is polished so well you can't see the seams.  Other than that, there is no difference.  The puzzles are the same size and weight! (Andreas!)  
Hanayama rates these as a level 3 and I'd guess that would be about right.  It's not a difficult puzzle to solve, even I managed it without too much difficulty!  
And now, one more photo.  I found another treble clef puzzle I found in one of our local shops.  Now I'm going to go out on a limb and say I don't think this is a copy.  I purchased it after returning to HK from the 2009 IPP.  As you can see, it isn't exactly the same.   Unlike Harmony, this puzzle has an open loop and a ring that needs to come off.  Different enough I would say.  The challenge isn't the same as Harmony, but I would say it's on par as far as difficulty is concerned.  Where it can be purchased from or what it is called, that I don't know.  

Puzzle day in HK

It seems I've been so busy of late that I haven't had much time to blog.  When I do make the time, it's been after a puzzle meet-up and today's post is no different.

My dear friend Otis returned to HK to visit the rather large rubber duckie we have currently stationed in our harbour.  While he was in town, he gave a shout out and asked if Michael and I would like to join him for a puzzle exhibition/talk.  Of course I jumped at the chance to see my old friends and we agreed to meet in the shopping center across from my uni.

I felt very pleased this time around,  it was the first time I was able to lead others to a puzzle location!  Usually I just tag along in a daze wondering when we'll get there and trying hard to not ask.

The day started out with breakfast at McDonald's/food court.  As is typical, we brought along puzzles to play while we ate.  I had the butter churn loaner f  rom Jerry and a few that I'd recently gotten in from various places, and Otis brought along his usual 3x3x3 and an orbik!  Mine is buried so it was nice to see one again.  After we filled our tummies we headed over across the road to the Heung To middle school.  Apparently this is the third year the school has been running this exhibition.

When we arrived, the show had already started.  There was some kind of registration that SmaZ told me to sign.  Seems that since I'm an educator, I got a certificate of some sort for showing up. Ok.  More for the end-of-year-self-criticism.  Although I think it is just another of these EDB training initiatives....

Otis told me in advance there was a Hanayama designer and inventor giving some sort of talk on puzzles.  All he knew was the guys name was Wong.  He was betting on someone being brought in from Japan, I was guessing it was Kyoo.  One point for Rox!  He gave a nice talk on the history of IPP and some of the things that happen inside the mysterious rooms.  Then he went on to discuss a few puzzles he invented that could be used in educational environments.  Overall, it was quite interesting to listen to.

Once the talk was over, we went and looked at a few of the puzzles that were on display.  There were more than a few that I don't have, and really enjoyed playing with them.  It was nice because I had a chance to play with a few and that helped me decide which ones not to purchase. We wandered around for around an hour looking at these, and listening to the owners tell us where they purchased the puzzles and at what cost-talk about making a girl feel jealous!  It seems I'm not the only puzzle hunter in HK.

recent purchases

Otis mentioned something about a sale on Hanayama puzzles and went running over to the sales table and made a few purchases of puzzles needed and puzzles to give away.  In the mean time Katherine came over and hugged Otis, Michael, and Kyoo.  Which was a good thing, because once that happened, was handed a few Hanayama's that I don't have, and was allowed to solve for a while.  As always, no photos and no hints on what is up and coming, but I think you'll enjoy the next two or three to hit the market.

Kyoo very nicely gave Katherine two puzzle kits that we will attempt to put together when I get over this sickness that she's brought home.  Just looking at them, I think when they are done they will be a packing puzzle.  But the real puzzle is to work out how to make them.  You see, there are no instructions inside.

The day started for us around 10:30, and by lunch we took a walk over to the University to grab a go box.  Lunch was in one of the classrooms and Katherine got a real eye opener on the difference between her overpriced international school and the local version of the same grade.

After lunch we went back into the hall to play with puzzles!  There were around 10 or so tables with puzzles on them to play.  Silly me didn't count!  I was tickled because I saw a few more people I know from years gone.   One teacher showed me how to solve cast rattle-which Otis was able to solve, but yet again I couldn't. I also met an older puzzler from whom I ordered a puzzling necklace which I hope to get in time for IPP.

We spent the next 4 hours or so just moving from one table to another playing with puzzle after puzzle.  It was a real treat for me because there were so many students there puzzling!  And better still, as one group left, another came in.  There were kids from primary school all the way through form 4.  (7-16 years old)  I enjoy watching children puzzle away.  Even my own self-proclaimed puzzle hater got in on the action and played for a while.  Sadly she was ill so I had to take her to the train and send her home early.

As always when this happens, I was thrilled when I was handed a couple of puzzle gifts.  The first was a disentanglement designed by one of the students from the school.  The second was a new take on an old puzzle:  Tangrams!

When day was done, SmaZ, Otis and I all went out for a nice sushi dinner.  Otis solved a puzzle I was given (again, not showing them yet!)  And then solved another!  All in all, even though it was an incredibly long day (12 hours!) it was great fun.  I look forward to next years puzzle display.

Guangzhou toys fair

Once again, I've been a lucky lady.  I had another 20 hours in Guangzhou last week with some great friends.

As usual Michael gave me very late notice but he did send me a message asking if I wanted to go to Guangzhou on 9 April.   He told me that Da Yan and Leslie and couple others would be there. I was very lucky because we've just effectively finished the semester and I didn't have classes on Tuesday or Wednesday so I left Tuesday morning and went to GZ by train.  on Wednesday morning I had a meeting so for me it was just one night GZ as usual lately.  but hopefully this summer we will be able to get together again a few more times and I can spend more time up there. I'm hoping as long as I get more notice Michael.

When I got to GZ mean my my dear friend picked me up at train station and we stopped and ate some breakfast and then we headed off towards the torture appetizer we met at the angel and one of the owners of cube twist.

Now I've been to the toy fair in Hong Kong many times. I think about 15 years 16 years now I've been going and in Hong Kong it's very active and it's very busy. There are thousands and thousands of vendors. The walkway is very thin you're constantly bumping into people so when I got to GZ I was very very surprised.  There are less booths. It only covered two floors of the building but it was a very large building. The walkways were very wide. As I was walking I didn't bump into anyone. There was a lot of activity; a lot of people walking around a lot of talking.

We were very lucky because Happy Angel had been to the toys fair before and he acted as to a guide for us. We went around not looking at toys but looking at puzzles and puzzle companies. Very interesting in GZ the companies that we on Tuesday puzzles consider copy companies were all their selling or showing their puzzles. 

We went to was SS and we met the owner and the designer of the puzzles.  Neither men spoke English but the owners son was there and we spent a great deal of time sitting down and talking. As is usually in China the first thing they did was give us tea and of course we drank 10 cups of tea. The designer gave me two puzzles that he had designed the first is a 3 x 3 that glows in the dark and it's a little bit different.  It is blue instead of the usual green glow-in-the-dark. He also gave me a mini version of the 7 x 7 that they have made it's probably a half an inch smaller than the other 7 x 7 that they have developed previously.

They've also come out with a new 4 x 4 puzzle and I asked them to look at the inside of it very interesting thing to me it still looks the same as the v-cubes, but they've added an additional piece inside it.   I kind of thing so it's slightly different but it still reminds me of the same.   

From here we went on and looked at a giant helicopter and the company was selling remote control helicopter toys but this one is a toy for kids but you can sit two people in it and fly around.  It look pretty cool but not for my house.  It's it's the size of my house, literally!  From there we went to YJ and I saw quite a few puzzles that are relatively new, but I've picked them all up at the Hong Kong toys fair in January. They had the the golden Chinese tael, they had the silver potato (the one they are calling an egg) and many others that are pretty standard that they've had for for many many years.  They did have a burr type puzzle which was very interesting.  I have never seen it before and very nicely they gave me a copy of it.  The designer at this company recognized me from Twisty Puzzles from my blog and from many trips to China and posts on Mf8 so he was very nice. I did want to leave the before the owner of the company recognize me because I had met him previously when I was working the toys fair with v-cubes and so we left there and headed out to see a couple more puzzles.

 Next we went to see was Ghosthand but that was just normal 3 x 3 cubes.  We also saw the Chinese company that the toys company that made the Chinese knot puzzle at the Chinese new year last year. They had some three by threes they have some 4 x 4 expect basically nothing new. From there we went to see LAN LAN.  This is the first time that I've met the people from LL. They were very nice as well.   They had two new diamond geared type puzzles, not the same as the one that Calvin has produced, but unfortunately they wouldn't give me a copy of it so I'm I'm still trying to find that somewhere.  I'll probably buy it online somewhere and again more tea more more photographs but nothing new at this booth either.

QJ is another company that we saw and QJ had a number of puzzles out but we didn't stay very long the fair was closing soon and we wanted to get over to Dian Sheng.  QJ also had nothing new that I hadn't seen already.

The final stop of the day was Dian Sheng and I was very surprised as we walked up I saw it some posters on the wall.  The posters had a couple of cubes that I had never seen before so I was hoping they would have these puzzles in their booth.   The booth was very very large and as we went and they did have these  new puzzles however they look very much like a Meffert's ball cube.  But he's just produced two of them.  The texture on the outside of the balls is slightly different but otherwise they're effectively the same.  He also has made a new 4 x 4 puzzle with a textured surface on it so it isn't for use in competitions.   but it does look nice Dian Sheng also produced a number of 3 x 3 and 4 x 4 puzzles that are made of colored plastic so no more painting on colors and no more tiles on their puzzles.  Their third different colored plastics put together much like Mf8  and Da Yan have been doing over the last year.

at 5 o'clock it was very interesting because there were security guards standing around with megaphones telling us to leave the fair.  The fair is closing leave leave leave!  In Hong Kong they don't do that to make an announcement but that's it. People take their good sweet time to get out here they turn off the lights on us and there was a mad rush to leave the building.

I think at the end of the day we saw something like 10 different manufactures. It was as always very interesting for me to go to the fair from the standpoint of non-buyer and to look at it from that perspective.  It's not very often that I get to do that usually I've been working the fair for different companies. They had nothing new but I did meet the guy from Dian Sheng and he's going to send me some but I've been asking for him to send me.

Santa Da Yan

When the fair was over we went over to the MF8 warehouse and we met with Mr. Faulk and Diane says they work with you then and Leslie and his wife so everybody except Tom had come back to for the couple of days. Da Yan pulled out his new puzzles that he made lots of photographs have been running around the Internet of these things and they're a lot of fun to a lot of fun to twist and to play with he passed out blue to buy two to all of the puzzlers.  That I didn't get that I got a remake of a Gem puzzle that he had made before he's retooling all of the puzzles to make them better so very nice he signed them for us after this we went to dinner and and of course the dinner it was puzzles the Plenti we had Diane's puzzles on the table no one else brought out puzzles no no new puzzles coming out I should say or none that I can talk about I brought along a number of IPP puzzles that I had received that I thought that the guys would be interested in.   A number of other people joined us in the evening later in the evening and I think it dinner we had about 15 people in total. Teacher  didn't come but I give about five puzzles for him to use in his classes in the coming weeks.  He teaches middle school middle, school mathematics and he enjoys the packing puzzles for using with his students.




One puzzle that was a big hit was again Stephen Chin's mouse house and I played with it with a lot of people I took it out at the toys there and showed it to couple of the designers or owners that I know just goofing around and let them photograph it or anything.  At dinner everyone  had to try and solve the puzzle. That one was  a big hit! Leslie brought his wife alone and she managed to solve the puzzle.  Very interestingly, Eric Fuller's topless box is still unsolved. We didn't get that one done and dinner as usual lasted about three hours.  After dinner we went back to Mr. Fox warehouse to pick up our bags and from there we headed out to karaoke.  Karaoke lasted a long long long time and yes I sang this time.


Afterwards it was breakfast as usual in the same little shop just across from the hotel and we headed back to the hotel around 4:30 5 o'clock.   Because I had a 10 o'clock meeting I had to leave GZ very early and Ming stayed with me.  We left for the train station at around seven and I managed to make it back in time for my meeting. I'm really glad that I made notes for myself the day before on the train on the way up or I would never would have managed to survive the two hours that I had to survive.  GZ is great fun I love the guys I love going up and spending time with them.  I love playing with the puzzles and I just have an amazing good time when I when I go up there. I'm hoping that this summer I'll have a chance to go couple more times.  My schedule is a bit  more flexible than it was during term time and I look forward to spending more than just 18 hours over 20 hours in GZ. I guess I need three or four days in a nice long session would be good again. I hope you enjoyed the photographs of the toys. 

Bangkok

In March I went to Thailand for a conference before I went to Singapore.  The week before I went I posted on twisty puzzles asking for puzzle shops in Thailand. I didn't get any replies so I went on my conference thinking I would find no shops or meet with no people. When I was in Thailand my colleagues and I tried some Thai whiskey and I posted a photograph of that on Facebook. I later received a message from Traiphum on Facebook asking if I would like to meet him.  

By the time I receive this I was already in Singapore but I I lucked out and he was staying in Bangkok for a couple of extra days when I returned the following week I met him on Monday at the hotel. 

For me this was quite funny because when I was when I was in the tuk-tuk the tuk-tuk driver kept telling us that we had four people and there were only three.  When I got to the hotel they told me my friend was waiting for me I had no idea what they were talking about I was confused because I thought they were saying I had to pay for another person in the room.  (the Tuk-tuk driver was in my head and I thought I had an imaginary friend that everyone but me could see)  Anyway I met with Traiphum. He brought many of his custom-made puzzles to show me and I also met his girlfriend I think her name was NeeNee but if I got it wrong I'm very sorry.  

His work is absolutely amazing!   I have one of his puzzles, but only one because they are quite expensive they run around US$150 and can go upwards of US$400 for one puzzle I enjoyed playing with them and I really liked meeting him.  A very very nice man. We sat and talked for about an hour before he had to catch a bus to go back to his hometown.  I was very happy because we were late the plane left a little bit later than it should have and I was over one hour late but he waited for me.  It was very kind of him to do so.  

The puzzles of his that I saw were some new ones that he was building and the number of old ones that he had just completed. He brought along and all almost 10 x 10 x 6 that he'd completed a 7 x 7 pyramid type puzzle, a 6 x 6 x 4 OLz'd puzzle and and the helicopter not the helicopter the Megamix cube that he had been working on. He also pulled out a 6 x 6 x 6 cube with bigger bits on the outside and smaller bits in the inside I don't know the name of that one but I'll post a photo of it anyway here and he showed me another one that he had been working on and it's a 9 x 9 x 3 with hidden layers he's just an absolutely amazing builder identified by 5 x 3 that I saw of his.  

He let Katherine muck up some cubes.  It was very nice of him to show me how he makes the puzzles so he brought out one that he was still working on and he said he does all the cutting and his girlfriend does all the fine work.   There's a photo here is one of the puzzles in a partial state very nice of him but he told me I could post it here for everyone to see.  All in all it was a really fun hour or two that we have spent together just looking at his puzzles I felt very bad because we were on holiday and I didn't bring any puzzles with me because I know in Thailand it's very very easy to get wooden puzzles and I didn't want the extra weight because I wanted to bring toys back with me.

After he left we checked into the hotel room and we took off for Road We Were Staying near That Area and Having Stayed There You Know 20 Years Ago When We Were Young I Knew I Would Be Able to Find Puzzles over in That Area.

I found lots of burr puzzles a couple of packing puzzles mostly mostly burst some of that the pyramids with the balls that you put together a couple of twisting barrel type puzzles a number of pegged jumping puzzles.  These are very typical of what you'll find in Thailand unfortunately for me I had all of these from many visits that I had taken previously.  Altogether I spent about a week and a half in Thailand and  I came home with absolutely nothing new.

Bug wanted to buy a T-shirt so I took her out to some of the night markets to look for T-shirts and of course we found puzzles there as well again with the wooden puzzles there was nothing new I found nothing I didn't already half but we didn't find a number of cyclone puzzles that were being used as lights they were in packages with varying in size from maybe 1 inch 2 foot and a half across. These range from one US dollar to about US$20 very cheap puzzles but because I have some already I didn't buy any of these either.

 I didn't see one puzzle that I have not had before and it was called a rocket ship I think there were about 13 pieces in it. I didn't buy this one. It wasn't expensive it was about HK$100 but it's a very large puzzle I am in total it was about a foot and a half tall for 13 pieces and this is just a bit too big for what I was looking for and my suitcase was already fairly full so... 

 I just decided that next trip I'll look again and maybe buy that rocket ship.   I'm going again next summer for another conference and I'll buy it then.  Thailand overall is a nice place to visit but as far as puzzles for me it was empty. It was dead. Bad. But I did get some nice jewelry so it wasn't a busted trip after all.

meeting puzzlers

The one thing I love and hate about my job is the research and the travel to foreign lands that goes with it.  This past month has seen me almost disappear from the puzzle world.  I've been so busy doing my day job that I simply haven't had time for more than a cursory glance at forums, or to read blogs let alone post on my own.

This last bout of work has seen me in Singapore and Thailand.  And you should know by now that one of my criteria is that I meet with puzzlers when I travel.  (The other criteria is of course the conference must be interesting)

The first place we went was Bangkok.  Sadly, I forgot to ask about meeting up with puzzlers, but as it turned out, a puzzler contacted me.  I posted a photo of some really nasty Thai whiskey that one of the boys and I were sharing (Don't try it.  That stuff is like drinking gasoline!) and Traipumi saw it on Facebook and arranged a meeting for the following week when I went back for a short vacation.

In the mean time I headed off for Singapore and a meet up with fellow blogger Jerry.  He very nicely picked me up at my hotel and we headed off for dinner.  Mexican if I remember right.  But before the meal came we had to play a bit with some toys.  Jerry brought along a bunch for me to look at and I brought along one or two as well.

Before we met, we had conversed via email for a while and I requested to see his Einstein puzzle.  He also brought along a Marcel butter churn and a few more.  He asked me to see a Berrocal and I very gladly obliged.  I showed him how to disassemble David, and let him take Maria apart.  As happened to me when I saw Maria at Hendrik's house, Jerry instantly said he would now purchase one if given the opportunity.  They are beautiful pieces of work and just call out to you once you see one.  I also brought along Arrow Blocks and a couple of wire puzzles and a Hanayama I had in my bag.

We spent around 3 hours together puzzling and chatting about fellow puzzlers, bloggers, and sellers too.    Jerry was quite the gentleman.  As always, I was happy to meet a fellow blogger and instantly felt comfortable with him.  I was there for work, and my colleagues called to ask where I was.  Jerry the gent, dropped me at the bar they were at and we all enjoyed a nice cool walk back to the hotel.  Singapore was a beautiful, albeit sterile, city.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to go, but even more glad that I got to spend time with a new friend.

A rather pleasant surprise for me was that I will have the oportunity to see Jerry again in the not too distant future.  It seems he and I will be in the same city for a weekend near summers end. I left him with my Arrow Blocks, and he left me with Einstein and the butter churn.  We'll return them when we next meet.

As we were parting company, Jerry and I exchanged puzzles.  He gave me a new one he was working on and I gave him "Oli's travelling puzzle" (my name, not his).  This puzzle has now gone from the UK and an MPP to HK to Singapore.  I wonder where it will end up next???

It was a real joy to meet him.  Thank you for a lovely evening my friend!

Hoppy Easter Peeps!

Apologies

I do send out regrets to one and all. I haven't abandoned you, I've just been traveling for work and then a long overdue vacation. (My first non-puzzle one in about 10 years! I kid you not).
In the past week I've met fellow blogger Jerry in Singapore and twisty puzzle builder extraordinaire Traiphumi in Thailand. When I return to HK next week I promise to write out a trip report and post photos. Sadly, I've found no puzzles in either place that I don't already have.

Stay tuned for an update in about a weeks time!

One night in Guangzhou.....

Ok I want you all to start singing to the tune made famous in the 80's by Murray Head.

Now that I have half of you smiling and humming along, and the other half searching google.....

guard cats

That's exactly what we just did. One night was enough to recharge my (puzzle) batteries and make me feel like me again.

Michael (aka SmaZ) and I left for GZ after my class on Monday. This meant a late arrival in GZ, but the professional (keener) in me wouldn't allow me to cancel classes. Upon arrival we headed straight to the warehouse of Mf8 (Mr. Fok-who I've been told has a different name in Putonghua) and chatted for a bit.  I snapped a nice photo of some rock candy I saw sitting around.  Sadly, I couldn't get photos of the cats by the puzzles. Silly things left every time I tried to snap a picture of them.  I really enjoyed taking photos of his guard cats! as well as new puzzles. We sat and chatted for around an hour before heading out to dinner with a nice little group of puzzlers-13 of us in all. Ming even brought his girlfriend who is WAY too pretty for him. Throughout dinner the puzzles kept coming out. By the end of the night we had no less than 50! on the table. Everyone always brings something they have been enjoying and I bring some if my recent finds or my favorites from IPP. Sadly, this trip followed immediately after the first 1/2 marathon I've run with my husband and I only had time to grab a few gifts and a bag that was on my desk. My contribution this time was pretty sparse and it only highlighted how long it's been since I've had a boys and toys! (And how much I missed them!)

Of course, no buys and toys can be called such without copious amounts of beer, but this time I had a surprise in my bag! Oyster Bay! I needed a bottle for the train ride and...well, it needed finishing! All had a glass of my (second) favorite wine and the fun began.

Food is almost as important as puzzles (and beer) and the meal lasted a whopping three hours, but when you are with such great company it seems like only minutes.  It was great to see and play with AJ's new puzzles.  Although the blue one doesn't work as well as he wanted, but I have a feeling he'll come up with a solution for it soon enough.  A few Hanayama puzzles were brought out onto the table to be twisted and separated as well as a few brass puzzles I brought along.    

the Hanayama toys

a broken lock

 Ming brought out out a pile of the Hanayama mini puzzles that have recently come out.  He managed to find them somewhere at a good price and was passing them out to all who purchased them.  Nice guy gave me a number that I don't have.

Ming's girlfriend managed to take apart a lock puzzle that was exchanged at IPP, but she pulled it a bit beyond the spot of solving.  No problem, 2 puzzles.  They got it back together again and the play  carried on.

After dinner Mr. Wong, Michael, Ming and I went on to have a 'second dinner' a 1/2 dozen bottles of beer and a lot more puzzle talk!

puzzle purchases

The next day we met again and spent a long time running around looking in a place I'll call "Mannings" because I'm just not sure of the name of the place but I sure enjoy going there. It's 7 floors of wholesale shops.  4 of which are girly things and toys!  Heaven.  I purchased a few toys there, but not my usual haul.  It seems I've got most of what I've been looking for.  Can anyone tell me how that happened?

We ended up back at the Mf8 warehouse for a bit of talk before our last dinner together.  Mr. Fok very kindly gave Michael and I a copy of Eitian's star and a sweet desert cake.  At dinner he brought out a couple of his new puzzles.  The crazy puzzle was molded a few years back but had flaws so it's being redesigned.  If I understood write, it should be coming out within the next half year.  The other holey puzzle shown here is on the way as well.  A couple of nice little toys to play with so save your pennies!

As always, it was hard to leave.  I'm hoping the next trip isn't as far apart as this one has been.

Rock candy

Booze Crate

Today's puzzle is a nod towards my  affinity towards adult beverages.  I would not recommend this puzzle for those under 18.  

I bought this puzzle off eBay a while back and promptly forgot I had it.  When Wil came in January and we started to take out my toys, he discovered it and wanted to have a go.  It got left on my desk and has been staring at me ever since.  I got tired of the accusing looks so I picked it up and took it with me for a session of testing.  

The puzzle has 4 layers to it. Each with five pieces.  It is a plastic packing puzzle with the theme of alcoholic beverages.  One side of each tile is blank while the other has a drink outline raised slightly on the opposite face.  To make it a bit more difficult, each piece is slightly irregular.  The one segment shown here is only a sample of what is in store for the puzzler.  Odd shapes and sizes.  I like that it is nicely contained in it's own box complete with cover so the pieces won't easily be lost.

When playing with this one, I dumped it out on the side table and rotated pieces around during those in between times.  Over all, it took me around 30 minutes of play time to actually solve the puzzle.  Not too bad.  I must say, the difficulty level was greatly reduced once I flipped all the pieces in the same direction.  I would say it's a nice little challenge that you should try out, but like many of my puzzles, this one isn't easy to find.  Maybe the photo below can help you make your own, or you can try your luck on an auction site near you.