Tropical Paradise

 

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 500

Size: 36cm x 49cm
Product Code:  141876

This is an oldie but a goodie, and one that I had to dig out of my childhood puzzle collection. I have done this puzzle countless times over the years and it always guarantees a nostalgia hit. I put this one up today because I needed to remind myself of better times, when we were able to travel to places just like this one and enjoy beautiful sunshine and tropical climates. 

I don't really have much more to say than.

I hope you enjoy looking at this puzzle as much I enjoyed putting it together.

Colorful Beach Huts, Maldives

Brand: Puzzlebug
Pieces: 500
Size: 46cm x 28cm
Product Code: -

Once again, we're facing a freezing cold day here in Victoria, Australia. I guess that's to be expected when it's mid-winter but it's still not terribly pleasant!

To try and make the day seem less dreary I have put up a picture of a tropical paradise- a scene from the Maldives. How lovely would it be to rest on the deckchairs in the sunshine and listen to the ocean waves lap against the shore? 

This puzzle design was attractive to me because of the bright colours and clear image, however the quality of the pieces wasn't as good as I have experienced in the past- they didn't seem to fit together as well as they have in previous times. That said, I don't usually expect superior quality from this 'budget' brand anyway, so any good one in previous times has always been a bonus. 

At least the finished picture is pretty. 

Beachfront: Art by Lori Schory

Brand: SunsOut
Pieces: 1000
Size: 32.875inches x 26.5inches
Product Code:  96018

I have to admit, I haven't done very many shaped jigsaw puzzles. 

Perhaps it's because they aren't as readily available as your standard rectangular puzzle. 

In the past, I have completed a round puzzle (Wonderful World Of Disney 1) , but even as I was doing it, it didn't feel as though it was shaped, due to the straight edges of the border. 

That's why doing the above puzzle was such a profoundly different experience. 

The fish shape of Beachfront actually made the completion of this puzzle feel different. Not only do you have to work out the shape of the fish, but you have to find where the rest of the design correlates to that outline. Putting  together the jagged fins on its upper and lower body was a little bit challenging, as they came in several pieces and sometimes you weren't sure exactly how long each part was meant to be.  But this was a very welcome challenge- it's not every day that I have the opportunity to put together a puzzle like this! 

The design, which is bright and full of detail, was fun to put together. This puzzle also has uniquely-shaped pieces (including the occasional fish-shaped piece!) which only made the 'shaped' experience feel more complete. 

I haven't done many SunsOut puzzles because they're not as common in Australia as they would be overseas, but I will be making more of an effort to seek them out in the future!