The Elephant Puzzle was made from 7/8" thick poplar and was from a Judy Peterson book. I made it a bit thicker than normal as I wanted to try shaping the elephant a little like with Intarsia. This gives it a bit of a more natural look and depth.
Normally, I just make a wooden tray with a cut out of the puzzle to hold the puzzle. This time, I decided to do a little bit to create a background for the elephant. The tray is made from 1/2" plywood on the front and a 1/4" backing piece.
The finish was Watco Danish oil. The elephant had the natural, the lower tray piece was medium Watco, the middle piece medium Watco and the blue was from acrylic paint thinned to make a stain. A coat of poly was used over everything and then a finishing wax.