Disney Mad Tea Cup

Brand: King International

Pieces: 1000
Size: 48cm x 67cm
Product Code:  05125

Time for another Disney one! 

As you probably know, I love my Disney puzzles and I have done a lot of them over the years. The above puzzle is one that I found on a UK website- we can't normally get King International puzzles here and I think this was the first one I had ever done from the brand. 

The pieces were so nice to touch! Haha that sounds weird I know, but they had an almost velvety feel. Lovely! And as you can see, the design is pretty good too! 

Speaking of Disney puzzles, have you seen all of the Ravensburger Villainous series puzzles? I have already got all of them but have yet to start any. I really should begin soon cos there are many to get through in the series. Ravensburger have also released a few other Disney ones- one of Belle, one of Snow White, and an awesome Art Noveau-style Princess one- which I also have in my to-do pile.

So many puzzles, so little time!!

Gradient

Brand: Clementoni

Pieces: 1000
Size: 69cm x 50cm
Product Code:  39521

I have decided that it's finally time to follow the trend and put up a copy of a gradient puzzle that I have done! I did this one quite a few months ago and have been sitting on the picture for a while. I wanted to post it at some point but so many other puzzles won out each time... until now!

This puzzle was not as challenging as I thought it would be. The colours eased into one another quite well, which allowed me to finish it quite quickly. And oh those colours! So pretty and bright!

This one was by Clementoni but I have seen gradient puzzles from a variety of brands and am interested to know if they differ much in difficulty. I might have to suss it out... 

Have you done a gradient puzzle and did you find it challenging?

Coffee Lover's

Brand: Ridley's Jigsaw Puzzles

Pieces: 500

Size: 35cm x 50cm
Product Code:  JIG-039

This post is going up a lot earlier than any I've put up in recent times! Baby was very unsettled during the night and decided that 5.55am was the perfect time for a feed this morning! It wouldn't be so bad except I've gotten used to getting up between 7am and 7.30am for her usual feed and the early start has messed with me... 

Which is why I thought it would be fitting to put up the above puzzle about a beverage I've come to rely on! 

I've always liked the taste of coffee and enjoyed drinking it, but never thought that the caffeine had much of an effect on me. I could drink it (except later at night) and not worry that it would keep me up. In fact, I used to scoff at the people who said they couldn't function without their coffee in the morning! 

All of that has now changed. I was obviously just not tired enough for the coffee to not have an effect on me. Now I know what tiredness is, caffeine comes as a welcome relief- I look forward to it now, not just for the taste, but for the boost it gives me in the mornings. Who would have thought? 

This puzzle from Ridley's Jigsaw Puzzles was fun to do. It was interesting to see just how many coffees they could list, and read what was in it and how they 'look'. The box it comes in is even in the shape of a coffee bean bag! Very original.

It seems the humble coffee bean has a lot of variations when brewed! The puzzle quality was OK- there were a few pieces where the image had peeled off the backing a bit- but it fit together well. I've had this problem with other Ridley's puzzles so it seems to be the norm.

Despite this little manufacturing glitch, I'm sure that any coffee lover will adore this puzzle. It might even provide some inspiration for their next coffee fix. How many on this list have you tried?

DC Comics: Superman Retro Collage

Brand: Aquarius

Pieces: 1000
Size: 51cm x 69cm
Product Code:  65-233

When it comes to pop culture, I'm the first to admit that I love a good superhero movie. I know some people have their preferences regarding whether DC Comics or Marvel are better, but although I tend to lean more towards Marvel, I still have a deep appreciation for their DC superhero counterparts.

Last night my husband and I watched Zack Snyder's Justice League- hence the reason I have put up the above Superman puzzle- and I have to say, it was quite impressive! I saw the original Justice League film when it was first released a few years ago, and although I don't remember much of it, my husband insists that this version was way better. I did, however, remember a few of the scenes that were featured (it was Zack Snyder's cut of all the film work- you can google the reasons this film was made if you want more info), so I guess that's a win!

The above puzzle by Aquarius was made up multiple Superman comic covers, and was quite easy to do when you worked by section. The colours were so vibrant, and it was great to see all the adaptations to the Superman character over the years. Fans of the comic are sure to love this design. 

This puzzle is the 1000 piece version. I posted a picture of the 100 piece version of the same design several years ago http://jigsawpuzzlelove.blogspot.com/2017/11/dc-comics-superman-collage.html but thought, why not? That was in 2017 so enough time has passed!

We also finished watching Marvel's Wanda Vision last week and I have been searching fruitlessly for puzzles that feature the characters. Don't you hate it when you're looking for a particular puzzle design and it doesn't even exist?! I'll keep searching... someone might bring out a design eventually considering how popular the show was.

In the meantime, I have plenty of other Marvel and DC Comics puzzles to do so that should keep me busy :)

Little Feminist

Brand: Mudpuppy

Pieces: 500
Size: 51cm x 51cm
Product Code:  -

It really feels like these weeks are just flying by. 

I don't know if this is the case for everyone or it's just because I have a new baby who seems to be growing up so quickly, but it feels like each day is over almost as soon as it begins. I guess that's what sleep deprivation can do to you!

During the week it was International Women's Day and I had every intention of putting up a puzzle that had strong women themes, but of course, I missed the boat! So I've decided to put this one up now, as a tribute to that. It was a toss up between this one and a women in science one, but I've decided to save that one for another day. 

This one, by Mudpuppy, is much more colourful and has cute illustrations of some of history's most influential women. I absolutely love the design and the quality was wonderful, much in the way you would expect from the Mudpuppy brand. 

Hopefully by the time the day rolls around next year, I will be more organised- there's an awesome couple of puzzles from Lucky Puzzles that I have ordered and expect to arrive in the next month or so that would be perfect for the next International Women's Day (if I can last that long without putting them up!)

Elsa (Disney's Frozen)

Brand: Yanoman

Pieces: 70
Size: 10cm x 14.7cm
Product Code:  97-69

I have decided to extend on last week's post and put up the above puzzle today. Last week I mentioned my love for musicals and explained that Frozen: The Musical would be coming to Melbourne in Winter. 

Having said that, I thought I would put up this small postcard-sized puzzle that I purchased from the Japanese brand Yanoman. 

This puzzle was one of a series which also included Elsa's sister Anna, Rapunzel (from Tangled) and Cinderella. I'm not sure if there were other Disney princesses but those were the ones that I saw available at the time. These puzzles, as I mentioned, are postcard sized when completed, and the pieces are made from a thin, partially see-through plastic which click together nicely. 

I thought the illustrations of the princesses were quite pretty, and that was my main drawcard towards buying them. The style of the puzzle pieces was also a motivator- you don't often come across puzzle pieces that aren't made of cardboard or wood. 

Like all the Japanese brands I have come across, the quality of this puzzle was perfect. If only they were more readily available!

Broadway Musicals

Brand: Re-Marks

Pieces: 1000
Size: 33cm x 99cm
Product Code:  -

I'm so excited! I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a big fan of musicals- I've seen so many over the years in Melbourne and would love to visit Broadway or The West End at some point in my life. I don't have a preference for any particular musical- I've seen everything from Wicked to Annie, and from We Will Rock You to The Lion King. 

Yesterday I got an email about the Frozen presale starting tomorrow (which will be showing in Melbourne this winter) and got super excited. I loved the film and am really looking forward to seeing a musical adaptation on the stage. I don't know how we'll work it with new baby here, but I'm sure we can arrange something- I have plenty of people willing to offer their babysitting services! 

In the meantime, I have decided to put up this puzzle featuring the posters for some very well known Broadway Musicals. I've seen quite a few of these (although there are also some I've never heard of before). 

I was a little bit disappointed with the quality of this puzzle however, despite the awesome design. The pieces were cut atrociously- I think the blades must have been blunt, and because of this, I really struggled to put the pieces together. But despite this, I still enjoyed doing it- I've done a few Re-Marks puzzles and that was the only bad one I've had so maybe I was just unlucky. Oh well...

Are you a musicals fan? How many of the above have you seen?

The Night Garden

Brand: New York Puzzle Company

Pieces: 500
Size: 45.7cm x 61cm
Product Code:  NPZEM1919

Turns out I could only stay away for a week! I had my beautiful baby girl last Thursday, and was home by Saturday night, but I'm sure you can understand that puzzles were the last thing I was really thinking about then (well, maybe not last...)

Anyway, we're home now, we've started to get into a routine, and while she's having her sleep now, I thought it would be the perfect time to put up a picture of another puzzle!

Today I have decided to put up a stunning puzzle which was illustrated by the talented Emily Winfield Martin as part of her Dream World series. Her illustrations are always so whimsical and pretty. This puzzle was a little challenging to do, particularly in the black areas, but it looked amazing once it was done. The pieces, in true New York Puzzle Company tradition, were all irregularly shaped, which made this somewhat more difficult to complete but I got there in the end. 

I have a few puzzles on standby that I completed before bub's birth- just in case I won't be able to puzzle for a while- but I think we'll be OK. Now that we're settled, I should be able to post once a week as I did before. Let's just call last week our little hiatus! 

2020 Time Capsule

Brand: Funbox Puzzles

Pieces: 1000
Size: 75cm x 52cm
Product Code:  -

Well this may very well be the last post for a little while. As mentioned in my previous post, baby is almost here and although I would love to continue updating this blog and my Instagram posts, it will all depend on baby and her eating and sleeping habits. I'm under no illusion that it will be easy to juggle everything, especially at the beginning, so I'll simply do what I can.

So which puzzle have I chosen today as my last for a while? (potentially)

I thought I'd put one up to commemorate the past year with it's pandemic-inspired trials and tribulations. This one is from an Australian company called Funbox, and is fittingly titled 2020 Time Capsule. It features everything one remembers from the lockdown experience- masks, toilet paper, home schooling, working from home, cancelled travel tickets and jigsaw puzzles. I thought this was a great (and amusing) keepsake of the experience that so many people went through. Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of people went through (and are still going through) terrible moments in their lives because of this virus but this puzzle design looks at the 'lighter' side of it.

This was the first time I had ever done a puzzle from this brand, and I was happy with how it turned out. The quality was good, the price was affordable and the design was fun. I'll probably end up purchasing more from this company now that they've proved to me they're worth buying from...

And so that's it (for now). I won't put any baby spam up on these pages once she arrives (unless she happens to feature in a puzzle design) so ciao for now and I'll see you all when the time is right...

xo

King Of The Jungle

Brand: Tilbury

Pieces: 1000
Size: 69cm x 50cm
Product Code:  -

Yesterday was International Puzzle Day (which I missed- Oops!) but because I'm based in Australia, most of my international Instagram followers are only really coming into the day now. 

Looking at it this way, technically, this means that I haven't missed it at all! I'll take advantage of the time difference and claim it today haha!

I have been doing so many puzzles lately for the World Puzzle Days (WPD) event that is currently occurring online. While it runs until the start of March, I'll probably only have about a week left now that I can participate, with baby's arrival coming in a few weeks. That means I was rushing to meet my piece goal (15000 pieces- which I have now completed). While I would love to continue until the completion of the event, I know that realistically it's probably not a possibility.

Even putting up images on this blog and my Instagram might be a little bit difficult for a while- baby's take a lot of time up!- so if you don't see consistent posts like usual, that'll be the reason why. In fact, next week will probably be the last consistent post I make in a while. Of course, I'll try to continue but we'll see where baby takes me.

In the meantime, here's a picture of a puzzle I received for Christmas last year from my brother and sister-in-law. I hadn't done any by this brand before so it was a lovely treat. The design image is pretty awesome too! Enjoy

The Australia Edition

Brand: Journey Of Something

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code:  -

Since Covid-19 took over the world, there has been a huge influx of puzzle brands coming onto the market so people can while away their 'stay at home' time with activities such as puzzle assembly. So many companies sold out of their designs with this unprecedented demand, and a whole new audience grew. 

Because of this, a lot of regular puzzlers had trouble locating designs from their favourite brands, and it meant having to either do ones already in their collection which had been put off for others (I'm guilty of this) and also trying new brands (also guilty). 

One of the new brands I decided to try was not necessarily new- Journey Of Something has been around for quite a few years already- but it was new to me (in that, I hadn't purchased from them before. I had always admired their artist-based designs but couldn't justify the cost. Even though they are only a small business, their prices seemed way too expensive compared to the usual $30 or so I usually spend as maximum. For your reference, their puzzles cost over $50 each for a 1000 piece puzzle. But when they had a sale, I decided to take the plunge and just buy some. Their Australian-owned and I thought I'd do my bit to support local.

I'm glad I did.

The designs are expensive (as I said) but that said, I know they have to cover the costs of manufacture, copyright for artists, shipping, promotion, etc, and still make some money at the end of it. All of the designs are carefully curated and beautiful. The pieces come in a fabric bag inside the box, whose lid lifts up and is held with ribbon. Presentation is perfect. 

I chose the above puzzle and two others, and thought I'd put up this one first because Australia Day (a public holiday which has become very controversial over the last few years- 'aka Invasion Day') is this Tuesday and I needed something Australian themed to display. 

Extremely good quality and very pretty. I loved the landmarks, illustrations, and overall design of this Australian map. If you get the chance, check out their website and see what goodies catch your eye. 

Feelin' Just Poochy

Brand: Cra-Z-Art

Pieces: 100
Size: 33cm x 25cm
Product Code:  -

What more can I say? 

It's a new year, all my appointments with my obstetrician have shown than my pregnancy is going well, and it's a lovely day (weather-wise) today. Who wouldn't be feeling poochy (peachy)? Haha 

Hoping that I haven't jinxed myself now!

This puzzle was part of a collection of six that I came across while in Kmart. Each feature cats and dogs with graffiti-style artwork surrounding them- quite cute! Being cheaper types of puzzles, I expected the quality to also be cheap (and I was right- very large and thin pieces of cardboard), but the designs are cute enough that I was happy not to worry about it. 

They are from the artist Keith Kimberlin if you feel like checking them out. 

Flinders Street Station, VIC

Brand: Ken Duncan Images Of Australia (Crown & Andrews)- The World's Most Beautiful Jigsaw Puzzles
Pieces: 504
Size: 64cm x 24cm
Product Code:  -

Over the last few months there have been many people critical over the way the Victorian Government has handled the corona virus. The state of Victoria was in major lockdown, with the city of Melbourne hardest hit- I think I heard somewhere that Melbournians were facing some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world! 

But those months of restrictions and sacrifices are now over! Yay! Victoria has recorded over 28 days of virus free living! Those who complained can now see the proof that what was done to eradicate the virus was successful. Of course, it's not completely eradicated (it can always be reintroduced by travellers once all the state borders open and international travel begins properly again) but for now we're on a high!

We're in a much better position than the pain and horror that many overseas countries are facing right now- the USA and some countries in Europe are facing hundreds of thousands cases a day! Crazy! Hope they start to see some recovery soon...

To celebrate Victoria's success, I have put up a puzzle featuring Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station. It's such a beautiful and recognisable piece of architecture, which will be super busy again in no time as people freely begin to travel again. 

Cute Giant Panda

Brand: Puzzlebug

Pieces: 100

Size: 22cm x 28cm
Product Code: -

How cute are Giant Pandas? I was going to put this picture up a few months ago following the news that a Panda had given birth to twins at a zoo somewhere overseas, but obviously that never eventuated and I ended up putting up something else instead. 

Having remembered it now, I have decided to put the photo up. 

This was a cheap Puzzlebug puzzle, so the quality wasn't particularly great, but despite this, I still continue to buy them for their images and designs. They always look so appealing! Oh well...

Tinker Bell And Peter Pan Fly To Neverland

Brand: Ceaco

Pieces: 500

Size: 46cm x 36cm
Product Code: -

Today I have decided to put up a photo of this puzzle, which is part of a 4-puzzle-pack by Thomas Kinkade (Series 1 for anyone who is interested). And the reason for this one? Well I have recently finished reading a book that featured the characters from Peter Pan- focusing mainly on Tinker Bell and Wendy and I was inspired to put this puzzle up because of that. 

The book is part of the Disney Twisted Tales series (printed by Scholastic) and, while it is aimed at younger readers, it is fantastic nonetheless. Each book questions the events in a particular Disney story, and inverts it completely to make an entirely new story. For example, in the one I just finished (called Straight On Till Morning), the story takes a turn and asks what would have happened if Wendy went to Neverland with Captain Hook? (Rather than Peter Pan as she does in the original book). I also read one recently called Let It Go (based on Frozen) which is rewritten as though Elsa and Anna never knew each other. 

I love inverted fairytales as much as I love the originals and so this series is a joy to read. There are plenty more in the series if you are interested... but back to the puzzle. 

This puzzle was great Ceaco quality and I enjoyed finding all the little extra details in it, as Thomas Kinkade is known for doing. You can't really tell clearly from my photo but the clouds are outlines of Captain Hook and the pirates, ensuring that they are included in the illustration. I did the other puzzles in this box too and will eventually put them up. These are great illustrated puzzles and I intend to do them all eventually. 

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! :) 

The Mandalorian

Brand: Crown

Pieces: 48

Size: 26cm x 23cm
Product Code: -

I don't often do puzzles of extremely small counts- usually the smallest is 100 or 150 pieces- but I thought I'd make an exception for this week! 

This puzzle is a tiny 48 pieces, and features one of the characters from the Disney Plus series The Mandalorian- good ol' Mando himself! And the reason for this one going up today? Well the second series started again yesterday (although I haven't had the chance to watch it yet) and I thought, why not?! 

I also have a puzzle from the same 'series', featuring Baby Yoda but I figured that this one would be better this time round because the internet will already be flooded with images of him. I'm giving Mando a chance to shine! 

This puzzle was fairly good quality for the price and featured large, thin cardboard pieces. I suppose it really is aimed at children, hence the piece count, but I still enjoyed putting it together- it maybe took about 5 minutes tops to do, but I'm a sucker for pop culture puzzles, no matter the size. 

Like I said, there's also a Baby Yoda puzzle the same size from Crown, but maybe I'll put it up to commemorate the second series when it ends...

Heads Up

 

Brand: Cardinal

Pieces: 500

Size: 27.9cm x 35.5cm
Product Code: -

I love hearing about random national days and weeks- when things a little out of the ordinary have their chance to be appreciated or celebrated. My Mother-in-law has a block calendar specifically for this, which was gifted to her (possibly for Christmas last year?) and which she has used to add a bit of excitement throughout the year. 

For example, on International Pretzel Day, she made some yummy pretzels and on National Eat Chocolate Day, you can guess what we did! Haha.. 

I'm not sure if they are all real recognised 'holidays' but one that I know of is, at least in Australia, National Bird Week. This year it runs from Monday 19 October to Sunday 25 October, so I've just gotten in there before it ends. I don't really know much about the Week (you might have to Google it cos I don't have time to do it for you right now) but I thought I'd put up this puzzle I did of some tropical birds a little while ago- a perfect way to commemorate the week! 

This puzzle was very good quality even though it was one of those really cheap $1 ones, and the pieces were tiny. The colours were vibrant though, and it kept my attention throughout. Love those kinds!

I wonder which interesting day/week event I can incorporate my puzzle photos into next week?