She Series: Pop Culture Edition

Brand: Lucky Puzzles

Pieces: 1000
Size: 48.9cm x 67.6cm

Product Code: LP-1000-002

I'm really short on time today so this will probably be one of my shortest posts. Today I'm going to be visiting the International Air Show at Avalon, but I couldn't find any puzzles that I have completed of a plane or aircraft (although I know I have at least one in my to-do pile).

So instead, I have put up this puzzle for International Women's Day which is to be held in a couple of days on March 8. The above puzzle was a pleasure to do and features many iconic and influential female characters from pop culture- movies, music and books. I enjoyed doing it, although the irregular shaped pieces made it a little challenging at some times. 

Hopefully I won't be so rushed next weekend and will be able to put up a more detailed post! Have a great weekend!

She Series: Real Women Edition

Brand: Lucky Puzzles

Pieces: 1000
Size: 48.9cm x 67.6cm
Product Code: LP-1000-011

In a few days it will be International Women's Day and what better puzzle to put up than one celebrating some fabulous women from around the world who have made an impact!

I have quite a few puzzles which celebrate women but when I went to choose one to put up, I realised that I haven't done hardly any of them! They're still in their boxes ready to go, so I'll have to make an effort to get them done soon. The above puzzle was one of the few that I actually did have done so I decided to put it up to commemorate the day. The women in this puzzle are so influential in their fields, and although I don't recognise some of them, I do know who most of them are. That's the beauty of Google- because their names are underneath their pictures, I can check who they are and what they are best known for!

The puzzle itself was quite good to do. I had to import it from America.

The pieces were irregularly shaped, which made it more challenging, and I had to leave the border for last cos it was difficult to do otherwise. Unfortunately, some of the pieces had scratches on the imagery, and some of the pieces weren't as clean-cut as I would have liked. But when the puzzle was assembled, these problems weren't as visibly noticeable. Otherwise, I love the artwork on this and was very happy with the overall design- a great memento of some great women through the ages!

Little Artist

Brand: Mudpuppy

Pieces: 500
Size: 51cm x 51cm

Product Code:  -

How is your new year going? I know a lot of people who are currently isolating because they have either tested positive to Covid-19 or because they are close contacts to positive cases. It's such a disappointing start to the year, but hopefully things will improve and everyone will be safe and healthy once more.

In the meantime, besides working (we're very short-staffed at the moment), I have been participating in my third ever World Puzzle Days (WPD) event. This is a fantastic 3-month-long event where you try and complete as many puzzles as you are able. It's fun and was free to join this year, and since I thoroughly enjoyed doing it the last few years, I thought I'd have another go! I don't know if it will continue next year, because the organiser does a lot of it himself and it's a lot of work (he deserves a break!) but if it is running, I will definitely continue!

The puzzle I have posted today isn't one that I have done for the WPD but I thought I would put it up anyway cos it's so darn cute! I did this one last year and it features bright and beautiful illustrations of some famous artists over time. The quality was wonderful, as expected, and it was very easy to complete. Enjoy!

Night In

Brand: Journey Of Something

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

I've had one of those moments of hindsight... I should have done my puzzle of Queen Elizabeth II by Eurographics and put that up today to celebrate The Queen's Birthday Public Holiday we will be having on Monday. Alas, I forgot about it and only realised today- much too late to complete and photograph! Oh well, maybe next time...

Instead, I will have to settle for a puzzle that features several other queens instead.

I came across this puzzle at a local Target store (in Australia). I never knew that Journey of Something had released a limited edition set of puzzles there (strangely, they don't show up anywhere on their website?) so when I saw them, and the awesome designs, I thought, why not?! I only bought 2 (the above one, and one that features an apartment building) because they were still quite expensive and I was already loaded down with baby paraphernalia (the reason I went there to start with) but I just couldn't resist.

The above design is by @soyserrano who has an amazing following on Instagram for his artwork. I just love it!

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!)

Artist Hour

Brand: La La Land
Pieces: 1000
Size: 50cm x 70cm
Product Code:  PU-LL09

I thought I'd put up a puzzle from an Australian brand today, just for something a little bit different!

La La Land is primarily a gift brand that specialises in unique designs that feature Australian flora and fauna, and occasionally pop-culture references (like the one above). They sell tea towels, greeting cards and a range of other items, as well as a small range of jigsaw puzzles. 

The above puzzle is one that I picked up which features 7 well-known or influential artists enjoying a cheeky drink at the bar together. These artists all lived during different times but it is a fun imagining of what life would be like if they were all around at the same time and were able to compare their particular artistic styles with one another. 

The quality of this puzzle was quite good (for a company that doesn't specialise in puzzles) and I really enjoyed the unique design. Can you recognise all the artists in this image?

Little Scientist

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

How cute is this puzzle? 

If you have little ones who are interested in learning about famous scientists throughout history (or if you're a big kid like me who also wants to learn and appreciates cute imagery) then this puzzle is the perfect tool!

The design is cute, bright and accessible and highlights 16 influential scientists- both male and female- their fields and their achievements (obviously in a very basic way). The design entices the puzzle-doer to go out and further research the person and what they have achieved. While their names aren't featured on the puzzle image, they are provided in the box on a foldout poster. 

This puzzle was quick and fun to do and there are others of a similar style in the series. I feel like this is one I'll have to collect all of! 

The Tower Bridge Over Thames River

Brand: Trefl
Pieces: 1500
Size: 85cm x 58cm
Product Code: 26140

With the spread of Corona Virus worldwide, the travel industry is really feeling the strain. So many people are being forced to cancel their holidays for fear of the pandemic, especially with so much uncertainty about how long this will be going on for. We have booked  to visit the USA next month and hopefully that will still go ahead. A couple of my colleagues have booked for the UK in July and they're just as hopeful. But time will tell...

In the meantime, the only way that many people will be travelling is by staying at home and viewing pictures of the places that they want to visit! I suppose that's where jigsaw puzzles of travel scenes come in handy! 
The above puzzle features one of London's key landmarks, The Tower Bridge. Although I have never been there I would love to visit it one day. In the meantime, I will have to settle for the puzzle image.

This puzzle was from Trefl and was very good quality. I haven't done many from this brand before, as they are not readily available to me. However, I was very pleased with the ease of putting it together. Some parts of the sky were a little bit difficult due to similar blue shades, but I got there in the end! Overall, it was very satisfying to complete it!

Frida Kahlo

Brand: Aquarius
Pieces: 1000
Size: 51cm x 71cm
Product Code: 65-340

In all the motivational women's books going around at the moment, Frida Kahlo is one of the resoundingly popular ladies that keeps cropping up. Although I have read about her in the past, I barely remember anything about her, besides the fact that she was someone who changed the art world against all odds and that she had a unibrow! I also know that she did a lot of self-portraits, but that is as far as my knowledge about her goes!

Regardless, when I saw the design of this puzzle, I was enticed to buy and do it. I thought the floral background was striking and the colours were amazing! This puzzle was quite easy to do when you sorted the colours by each flower style, and the pieces fit together perfectly as per typical Aquarius brand fashion.

Having completed this puzzle, I am kind of interested now to learn more about this iconic woman...

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. 

Great Painters: Vincent Van Gogh

Brand: White Mountain Puzzles
Pieces: 1000
Size: 61cm x 76cm
Product Code: 900S

So today I was in the mood to post a puzzle that felt arty. And what better way to represent an arty puzzle than to go to one of the masters of art- Vincent Van Gogh?! 

Unfortunately, I missed out on visiting the National Gallery of Victoria when his exhibition toured in Melbourne last year. But from all accounts (including that of my in-laws), it was a wonderful experience. Instead, I have had to enjoy his paintings through a different medium- a thousand cut out puzzle pieces of some of his most famous paintings! 

This was the first time that I had done a design from the White Mountain Puzzles brand, and I wasn't disappointed. The pieces fit well together and the colours were rich in tone. I love how they do so many collage-style designs- and covering such a large range of topics too! I'm sure I will do some more of these in the future, although that is dependent on the exchange rate- it's so expensive buying internationally at the moment! 

Pets Rock Film

Brand: MB Puzzle (Crown)
Pieces: 1000
Size: 45.7cm x 60.9cm
Product Code: -

I got all four wisdom teeth out during the week, so I've had plenty of time to sit around and do things at home while I recover- there's no way I'm going out in public with puffy swollen cheeks and bruising! 

So while I can get a few puzzles done, I also have the chance to watch a few films- hence my choice for today, Pets Rock Film. 

In typical fashion, the cats and dogs in this design are dressed up to replicate famous film stars and characters. They are instantly recognisable, which means that the people behind the looks have got themselves sorted! I have put up a Pets Rock puzzle in the past (Pets Rock Fame) and some of the images from this one were used in that one too, although I found this puzzle to take longer due to the film reel and red background. Sometimes the pieces were very similar and it was difficult to find which one went where, but that's all part of the fun. 

Besides that, this puzzle was quite easy to do when you sorted the puzzle into each individual 'portrait'. I have one more of these puzzles in my collection- music- and I'll put it up eventually. Until then, we'll see what else I can do... 

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Brand: Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
Pieces: 40
Size: 12.5cm x 8.7cm
Product Code: 720704

I thought I'd put up something a little different this week- a puzzle of smaller dimensions, size and style than I usually do. 

This is a wooden puzzle I came across at my local store last year. It's only tiny- as you can see by the size above- and only has 40 pieces, but it was quite expensive, as each piece is cut from wood. They're not just standard-shaped pieces either- there were a few cool ones in there, representative of the 'artist', which I've included in a photo below.  

There are a whole range of artworks and artists represented in this brand, and I also bought another at the same time, although that will be on this blog at a later date. 

It's always good to branch out a little and see what else is on offer- this is it :)