Paris In A Day

Brand: Eeboo

Pieces: 1000
Size: 53.3cm x 71.1cm

Product Code: -

Today I have decided to put up a puzzle of Paris, to commemorate the beginning of the 2024 Olympics, held in Paris, France. This puzzle was a pleasure to do, as it depicts many special landmarks from the country and holds a distinctly 'Frenchy' feel with its colour palette and style. Will you be watching the Olympic Games on TV? What sports are you interested in following?

Speaking of following, I competed in the Vic State Puzzle Competition last week and actually got my puzzle finished within the allocated time this time round! I placed within the top 110 people so I'm happy with that attempt, especially since it was a somewhat difficult puzzle that I hadn't done before (and I hadn't practiced at all beforehand 😅) . As long as I practice before the Nationals comp I should be fine.. I think!

Anyway, I best be off, but let me know what you think I should put up for the next few weeks following the Olympics theme- Paris? Sports? I'll see what I can do... 

Barbie: Paris Fashion

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 500
Size: 49cm x 36cm

Product Code: 165001

I finally got the chance to watch the Barbie movie last night! Yes, I know, it came out ages ago and I had every intention of seeing it with some of my friends but then I went overseas, and we had people cancel, and time just slipped away from us... 

But that's OK because I can finally say that I've seen it. And I really enjoyed it! It was very tongue-in-cheek, had some great little jokes throughout, but also was quite inspiring. It brought home a lot of truths about the patriarchy and women's often contradictory roles in the world, and I'm glad I finally got the chance to see it.

Anyway, I have decided to put up a Barbie puzzle for just that reason. This puzzle is a lot more muted than some of the other Barbie ones I have done- it's very classic and elegant fashion as opposed to the usual hot pink fashionista Barbie that is usually the norm but I enjoyed doing it. 

I bought this one online from the US and it cost me quite a bit but totally worth it for the rarity (and prettiness) of it. The quality was typical Ravensburger and it was quick to complete when you worked in sections.

Is there a movie you really want to see, that may have an accompanying puzzle to it?

Paris by Anthony Kleem

Brand: Puzzle Collector Art (Lafayette Puzzle Factory)
Pieces: 1000
Size: 51cm x 68cm
Product Code:  -

Well, as promised, I have put up a puzzle from a different brand this time round. And unlike my normal routine where I link the design image to something that is relevant to my life or the world around me, this one today is completely random!

When I first saw the design of this puzzle I was drawn towards the busy illustration of Paris that Anthony Kleem has produced. It features all of the important landmarks of the city- as well as the people- in a charming and patriotic way. The colours are vivid and the city is represented in a less metropolitan way than is the norm- looking almost like an idealic little village rather than a bustling city centre. 

This puzzle took only a few days to do but it was definitely a treat.

My Paris

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 1500
Size: 80cm x 60cm
Product Code:  162963

On Tuesday it was Valentine's Day, and suprisingly, I couldn't find any puzzles in my collection that featured hearts or any other love-themed designs! So I figured the next best thing would be to do a puzzle that featured a place known as 'the city of love'- Paris!

This 1500 piece puzzle from Ravensburger was quite a challenge, with only two dominant colours on a gray, black and white design. Thus, there was an interesting process involved in completing it!

After doing the border outline, the obvious thing to do was separate the bright colours from the greys, blacks and whites. That done, I was able to complete the street signs. But surprisingly, the pink letters of 'Paris' were quite difficult to piece together. Instead, I ended up finding and separating the patterns within the Eiffel tower from the other pieces and put that part together. I then worked on the Arc De Triomphe parts, working through each of the 'textures' on the building design. Having finally completed that, I switched between piecing together the word 'Paris', and the branches of the tree, before finally moving onto the white background pieces.

I have to admit that towards the end, I used the very systematic 'elimination' process, trying each similar-shaped piece in a spot and eliminating the ones that didn't fit as I went. Although it takes a while to do it this way, I was able to finally complete the puzzle about 5 or 6 days after I started it!

Although it was challenging, this was a great puzzle to get my mind working, and the gorgeous completed design speaks for itself!