The Lion King

Brand: Ceaco

Pieces: 500
Size: 46cm x 36cm

Product Code: -

This puzzle came in one of the Thomas Kinkade 4-in-One Disney boxes (Season 1 if I remember correctly), and I absolutely love this design. 

All of his paintings are just magical- he manages to capture each iconic scene perfectly. 

I know some people are not fans of his puzzles due to the paintbrush strokes sometimes making completion of the puzzle difficult, but I think this adds to the charm (and really it's not that difficult to put them together!)

This one was very quick to do and brought on all the nostalgic feels! It's also fitting because the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has just announced a show where they will be playing the score to the film in concert next year- tickets have already been booked lol

The Artist's Cabinet

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code: 149971

One of the reasons I enjoy doing puzzles so much is probably because of all the cool designs that are out there, through so many different brands. They are all so different, and many are appealing in their own way.

Today I have decided to put up the above puzzle, just because it's been a while since I last put up a Ravensburger!

This one was fun and also quite quick to do. It was my first Ravensburger in a while (after doing a variety of different brands) so it was nice to go back to a consistent quality puzzle brand. This design had lots of little details that made themselves obvious as you put the pieces together, and it looks as though it will be part of a new series- It said Cabinet Collection One on the box anyway. 

It's always good to go back to the old favourites :)

Narelle Wildman: Poppies

Brand: Blue Opal (The Art Collection)

Pieces: 1000
Size: 73cm x 48.6cm
Product Code:  BL00709

I was debating with myself about whether I would post this puzzle today or next week (because the title is Poppies and next weekend is ANZAC Day), but I decided to go ahead with it this week. The poppies above are not really symbolic of the ones we look at and commemorate for the occasion so I can probably get away with it! 

The main reason I wanted to post this is because it is an old puzzle that I dug out of my collection and decided to redo. 

In my last post I was talking about all the new puzzles I have purchased and how I'm starting to become overwhelmed by my addiction to buying new. But I have just as many old ones that have sat in my collection for years (even decades) that I might have to revisit before saying goodbye to them. 

The above puzzle is one of those. 

I remember taking up (what felt like) half of the kitchen table when I first did this at my husband's (then boyfriend's) house nearly 10 years ago. I didn't get a good photo when I finally completed it cos the room was quite dark and I had no way of moving the puzzle. Now, I'm a bit more organised and have more space so I decided to redo it and take a photo so I could finally sell it and say goodbye. 

I don't think Blue Opal makes this collection anymore so it was good to have and try it. The pieces fit together relatively well and the colours are vibrant, with shades that are quite similar (so it took a while to get some sections together). Overall, though, I'm happy with the puzzle and even though it will be sad to get rid of it, I can be happy in the knowledge that I completed it and someone else will get to enjoy it. 

How old is the oldest puzzle in your collection? How many times have you completed it? Will you ever get rid of it?

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

Brand: Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
Pieces: 40
Size: 12.5cm x 8.7cm
Product Code:  740404

I haven't really done many wooden puzzles- they're a lot rarer and a lot more expensive to get a hold of. But a while ago, I came across Wentworth Wooden Puzzles and bought two of their ''fine art' range.

I have previously put up The Scream by Edvard Munch and thought that today I might put up a Vincent Van Gogh design. 

The wooden pieces in this puzzle are randomly cut- some in the recognizable shapes of a paintbrush and pallet, a bottle and a photo frame (see below). While expensive (and with smaller dimensions and piece count than I normally do), I thought it would be good to branch out and try something a little bit different. 

Jenny Sanders: Running On Empty

Brand: Blue Opal
Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code: BL01905

I'm not sure why, but I really like these collections of puzzles by Blue Opal that feature the artworks of Australian artist Jenny Sanders. I have already posted up quite a few of them and have plenty more in my collection to do. Not only is the quality of the pieces great, but the designs are just perfect representations of classic Australian cars in 'their natural environment' (whatever that means, haha). 

I have always admired old, done-up cars, although there is no way I would be able to maintain or drive them myself. While a few of my friends have restored some in real life, the closest I think I'll be getting to them (besides being a passenger in one) is to do these puzzles!

This one features a lovely old green Holden (I don't know what kind of make it is but I'm sure someone could tell me!) in front of an old-school cafe (seemingly in the middle of nowhere). The colours are vibrant and the design layout made it pretty easy to piece together- the only challenge really came in the colours of the sky but even the gradual shading in the colours made it less difficult than it could have been.  

There will be more of these Jenny Sanders car puzzles on the way in this blog so if you're not a fan of them (as I am) then you'll probably be a bit disappointed! C'est la vie!

Lockey's Oyster Shed

Brand: Blue Opal Deluxe
Pieces: 1000
Size: 69cm x 49cm
Product Code:   BL01707

This weekend is the Portarlington Mussel Festival, which is held in Portarlington (obviously), a suburb on the Bellarine Peninsula not too far from my own. Tourists and locals alike- who have a taste for these edible molluscs- flock to take part in this celebration and enjoy the local produce. I for one have never really been a fan of mussels, but good on them for enjoying something different. 

In saying that, I have decided to put up a puzzle featuring Jenny Sanders' artwork Lockey's Oyster Shed. I know mussels and oysters are entirely different, but it was the closest comparison I could find! Renowned for her paintings of classic Australian cars, there aren't actually any oysters featured in this picture (just the location name), but I thought the summery vibes given out by the image were more than adequate. 

As with all of the puzzles featuring her work, this was a pleasure to do. The colours are vibrant and the quality of the pieces wonderful. I'm determined to work my way through all of the designs in this series, and any others that pop up over time...

Jenny Sanders: 'Yellow Sandman'

Brand: Blue Opal Deluxe
Pieces: 1000
Size: 69cm x 49cm
Product Code:  BL01865

After a two week 'experiment', the results are in! Licenced and popular franchise puzzle versus generic animal design. I have to say, I am quite surprised. I'm not sure if it's because of the designs I chose, or because of the audience I have on Instagram but I wasn't really expecting the results that came in.

After one week on Instagram, my Wonderous Safari  puzzle had 58 likes, and I had 2 people start following me (this may have been a higher number earlier but some people may have unsubscribed before I took down my figures). 

After one week on Instagram, my Justice League Of America puzzle had 55 likes, and I had 4 people start following me. Again, the numbers may have changed as some people unsubscribed but this is where it stands at time of writing. 

So it's a pretty close call. The first puzzle definitely had momentum at the beginning but the DC one had a gradual growth in numbers over the week...

Very interesting.

Well, now that that's over, onto today's puzzle!

I have decided to put up a photo of something a little different today- a Blue Opal Deluxe design by Australian artist Jenny Sanders, called 'Yellow Sandman'. This iconic old Australian car is part of a series Sanders has done that features artworks of classic cars (mostly Holdens). 

The pieces fit well together and the colours are quite bright (obviously depending on the design). I particularly like the beach scene behind the image of the car, as it brings back fond memories of warmer days!

This was a great puzzle to do, and something that many classic car fans will appreciate. 

Paul Cezanne - Blue Vase

Well it's definitely been a while since I posted up any new completed puzzles, so sorry about that.
Here is one that I recently completed to make up for it...

Brand: Eurographics
Pieces: 1000
Size: 48.89cm x 67.63cm
Product Code: 6000-3802

This puzzle took a lot longer to complete than I expected it to. I think I underestimated how similar some of the colours are, which made the puzzle a lot harder to complete under artificial light. This is a lovely representation of artist Paul Cezanne's famous artwork, and would be perfect for fans of his.The colours are vibrant, the design is pretty, and the uniquely shaped pieces make this a nice challenge. 


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


Blue Vase by Cezanne 1000-Piece Puzzle