Veil (Forgotten by Cris Ortega)

Brand: Heye Puzzle

Pieces: 1000
Size: 50cm x 70cm

Product Code: Art.-Nr. 29460

Do you have a stack of puzzle mail that has arrived lately? 

I do. 

So so much...

I've mentioned this before and I know I sound like a broken record but my ability to buy puzzles and store them to do later is far outdoing my ability to actually get any puzzles completed! I have sooo many puzzles to do, and more and more keep arriving (my fault I know- I need to stop buying them!)

A few days ago, I won an Instagram competition and my puzzle prize was sent to me, so that's another one again! Granted, it's an amazing design and I think I'm going to start it today, but it's still enabling my problem. 

I decided to put this puzzle up today because I did it such a long time ago and it deserves it's spot in the limelight. The design is beautiful but it was quite challenging to do at the time because of all the like-coloured background pieces. Once completed though... whoah! I love gothic girl designs- they're always so appealing (even though they can sometimes be challenging). The artwork is always amazing, and in the case of this one, I was really happy with the overall puzzle quality. 

Fierce Loyalty

Brand: Crown & Andrews Super 3D Prime 3D

Pieces: 500

Size: 61cm x 46cm
Product Code: -

I've decided to put up something a little bit different this time around- a lenticular '3D' puzzle! 

This is the first time I have ever completed one and it was quite an experience. It all depended on the way I looked at the pieces, or the way that the light reflected off them, which determined how quickly I was able to put it together. For a 500 piece puzzle, it took me quite a while! But the design was also quite dark which also made a difference. 

This design is from the Anne Stokes Collection, and has been adapted to this lenticular format. I thought it was pretty cool although it is much harder to take photos of puzzles in this style! 

There were only a few problems with this puzzle quality- a couple of bubbled spots where the image raised from the backing and showed on the design but there was nothing that could be done about this. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed this one- it felt good to tackle something slightly different.

And how fierce is the image?! Divine! :) 

Queen Of Jade: Art by Nene Thomas

Brand: Sunsout
Pieces: 1000
Size: 48.26cm x 76.2cm
Product Code: 67683

I love the fantasy artworks of Nene Thomas- she is such a talented woman! Luckily, some of her designs are available as puzzles through Sunsout, which means that I am able to buy, piece together and enjoy her beautiful artwork!

I decided to put up the above puzzle because it has an Asian theme- which is quite relevant considering I will be heading off on a weeklong holiday to Japan in a few days! Because of my trip, I won't be able to post up a puzzle next week (for the first Saturday in who knows how long!), but I'll be sure to put one up when I get back after the following Monday. In the meantime, you can admire this beautiful design of the Queen of Jade...

As always, the quality of the puzzle was exceptional. This puzzle took me a little longer to do than expected, because of all the similar colours and the flowers (which were plentiful) but I think the end result makes it worth it! I have a few more puzzles in a similar style to this (also designed by Thomas) and I can't wait to do them.

I need to go organise my packing for my trip now so sayonara until next time. 

Hopefully I might be able to pick up a few puzzle purchases (from Japan) for my collection...

Orchids (Art by Nene Thomas)

Brand: SunsOut
Pieces: 1000
Size: 48.3cm x 76.2cm
Product Code:  67636

I love romantic fantasy art. 

Usually comprised of a beautiful woman in a stunning landscape, these artworks are often a sight to behold. 

While there are many talented artists, one in particular that I admire is Nene Thomas, who has released many of her artworks as prints, cross stitch charts, and lithographs (among other things). You can purchase some of her work at http://nenethomas.com/

In conjunction with SunsOut, Nene Thomas has gifted puzzlers with some of her work in jigsaw puzzle format, including the above design.

Orchids is a stunning (and somewhat challenging) puzzle which, as you can see, contains a lot of similar background colours. I have to admit that it took me quite a while to complete this one, over a space of several days. That said, the end result is absolutely beautiful. The colours are vibrant and the quality of the unusually- shaped pieces is excellent.

I will more than likely follow this puzzle up with some other puzzle collaborations by both Thomas and SunsOut.

Magical Unicorns

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 500
Size: 49cm x 36cm
Product Code:  147434

I am astounded at the amount of love last week's puzzle- The Greatest City On Earth- received on Instagram! 
Manhattan is obviously a very beloved city throughout the world, as evident by the amount of people who liked and commented on the picture I put up!

This week's puzzle is probably less likely to have an impact, but I still thought it was a terrific puzzle to do...

There appears to be a unicorn trend currently sweeping the world (or my part of Australia, anyway) and I decided to do this puzzle because of it. In this new design from Ravensburger, these mystical creatures are featured in front of a castle and surrounded by a tropical wonderland. The colours of the flowers and plants are spectacular, and the large full moon behind them only adds to the magical wonder of the design. 

If you know someone who loves fantasy artwork or unicorns, then this Ravensburger offering may be just what you need. 

Indian Princess

Brand: Clementoni (High Quality Collection) (Fantasy)
Pieces: 1500
Size: 84.3cm x 59.2cm
Product Code:  31965

This is one of those puzzles that just struck a chord with me. 

I'm not sure why- perhaps it's the gorgeous design or the intense detail- but when I first saw it, I couldn't get it out of my mind. 

I left the store I saw it in and kept thinking about how much I would love to do it. But despite my interest, there were just as many reasons why I shouldn't.  

I already had such a large stash of puzzles at home, and, being a 1500 piece puzzle, it cost a little bit more than I usually try to spend. But it was calling to me...

Luckily, in the following days (as I ummed and ahhed and tried to justify buying the puzzle), the store decided to have a sale. Let's just say that I was a goner!

The white Clementoni box found itself in my possession and I was the proud and excited owner of yet another jigsaw puzzle. 

I was not left disappointed.

This puzzle, as mentioned above, features an absolutely gorgeous design of an Indian princess and her two tiger companions. They rest on luxurious fabrics in front of a scenic garden, with the iconic Taj Mahal visible in the background. 

The quality of the pieces was fantastic, as expected for the brand, and slotted together nicely. While some of the colours were similar, it was still relatively easy to differentiate each section. 

With a few little challenges (in the tigers' fur and the pink background), this puzzle is perfect for someone wanting a pretty design that might test their ability. 

Kindred Spirits

Brand: Holdson
Pieces: 1000
Size: 49.3cm x 68.8cm
Product Code:  09492

Yesterday was St Patrick's Day- the cultural day of celebration for Ireland's foremost patron saint. 

For some, it is a day like any other, but for others, the celebrations can take on a wild turn. For guests at many Irish establishments, the day was decked out in greenery, Guinness beer, atrocious accents and Irish jigs. For those who had an interest in the day but weren't keen to go overboard,it was enough to wear a dash of green and listen to a tune from a more contemporary Irish band (U2 or The Script, anyone?)

As far as I'm aware, I have no Irish blood within my family, but I was still keen to commemorate the day of the Irish, so I tried to find a puzzle that would be relevant to the day. 
This was harder than I expected. As such, the above puzzle was the best that I could find, and only because there were so many shades of green in it!

This one was a little bit harder than I expected. As I mentioned just before, there were so many shades of green that initially, it was difficult to determine which piece went where. After a while, my eyes adjusted to the different shades and sorting was easier. In fact, it ended up harder to piece together the tree in the end than the green background behind it! 

This was a beautiful puzzle to do. The final image is gorgeous and the detail is magnificent. This puzzle is perfect for dragon aficionados, fantasy lovers and fans of Anne Stokes' artwork.

The Beauty Of Brocade

Brand: Clementoni (High Quality Collection)
Pieces: 1000
Size: 69cm x 50cm
Product Code: 39085

This beautiful puzzle from the Fantasy collection was a pleasure to do.Not only is the girl in the illustration extremely pretty, but the puzzle (with all of its similar red and orange tones) made the puzzle more challenging. This was given to me as a Christmas present and I managed to complete it within a few weeks by working on it for a couple of hours each night. 


This puzzle is available from Fishpond by clicking the link below:


The Beauty of Brocade, 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Made by Clementoni