Underwater Sanctuary

Brand: Cardinal
Pieces: 500
Size: 35.5cm x 27.9cm
Product Code:  -

I've always loved images of dolphins, whales and other exotic and colourful marine life. 

There is just something so tranquil about these designs, with their aquamarine water- it almost feels as though you are part of this underwater landscape, frolicking with the creatures as they swim among the brightly coloured coral. Although I know that scenes like this one are fanciful and the reality is much different, I still enjoy doing puzzles like this one every now and then.

This Cardinal puzzle had very small pieces but they fit together really well to produce this well-designed image. The vibrant colours and busy scenery made it interesting to complete- there was always something different to look at as you put the pieces together. 

I've really grown to enjoy doing puzzles from this brand- they have a wide range of designs and the quality is usually really good. 

Dolphin World

Brand: Cardinal
Pieces: 500
Size: 35.5cm x 27.9cm
Product Code:  -

It's quite rare, but occasionally you come across a brand new puzzle that has a fault or two in it. 

Sometimes the pieces aren't cut correctly or they're cut so finely that a knob piece has snapped off in the packaging. 

Sometimes (although rarely) there is an extra piece in the box that has no place in the actual puzzle (or is a duplicate of a piece that has already been placed).

But this is the kicker- the real and very frustrating problem that some puzzlers face- a missing piece!

Sometimes it is the fault of the puzzler, having dropped a piece. Sometimes the missing piece is the result of a wayward pet who has decided that they would like a tasty cardboard snack. But sometimes it IS the manufacturers fault and the piece is simply not in the box. 

This was the case for the above puzzle. I didn't bother contacting the manufacturer or the place that I purchased the puzzle- it was not worth the trouble for the price that I paid for it- but it was extremely frustrating. 

Luckily it isn't terribly noticeable in the overall scale- can you see where the piece is missing in my above photo? But my point is that it does occasionally happen, and it can be a very annoying deal, especially if the piece count is high and you've been working on completing the puzzle for some time. 

That said, despite the missing piece, I quite enjoyed the above puzzle and was happy with the design. If it was fully complete it would have been a treat to do!

Reef Adventure

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

It's hard to believe that around this time last year, rather than being in cold, rainy weather, I was travelling around Fiji and Vanuatu for my wedding and honeymoon. 

The weather there was absolutely beautiful, the places we visited were amazing and the people we met were lovely. I had my first experience learning to Scuba Dive (granted, it was only in a hotel swimming pool, but at least I was able to learn the basics) and we got to snorkel some beautiful reefs, particularly near the amazing 'floating bar' Cloud 9, which was an experience in itself. 

To reminisce, I thought I would post up this photo of a puzzle I did recently. Although we weren't lucky enough to see any sea turtles, we did get to see some incredibly bright and beautiful tropical fish in their natural environment. This puzzle brought back memories of warm water, pretty coral and the aforementioned brightly-coloured fish. It was pretty quick to do, when working in colour blocks, and the design was (and is) fun and busy.

Perfect for brightening up a dull-weathered day and bringing back lovely memories, I reckon!