Tropical White Sand Beach, Thailand

Brand: Puzzlebug

Pieces: 500
Size:  46cm x 28cm

Product Code: -

Have you ever been to a jigsaw puzzle-specific second-hand sale?

Through Facebook, I have recently found the opportunity to take part in one that will be held in Melbourne in February and I am so excited! Even though it will be an early start and a relatively long drive, it will also be a great opportunity to sell some of my puzzles and meet like-minded puzzle enthusiasts. I'm really hoping I can clear some of my finished stash and make some much-needed room in my house haha. Depending on the success of the day, I would be more than happy to participate in other sales like it.

The above puzzle is one of the ones that I hope to sell (probably as a mini bundle cos I have a few and they were so cheap). I put it up today for its calm, beachy vibes and the relaxing atmosphere it evokes. The actual puzzle itself was OK to do, although the quality was as expected for the Puzzlebug brand. 

What puzzling adventures are you getting up to in this new year?

Summer At The Lake

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 300
Size: 70cm x 50cm

Product Code: 164387

This weekend in Geelong is the annual Geelong Revival event - a classic car show that is held on the Geelong waterfront and features time trials and hundreds of classic car displays. I tend to visit every year- I absolutely love to look at the beautiful old classic cars that have been so lovingly restored by the owners. 

I tried to find a car puzzle in my collection to commemorate the weekend but unfortunately I didn't have any on hand, so I'm putting up this one instead. At least it contains one classic car!

This puzzle was a large piece format and quite quick to do. The nostalgic 50's style image appealed to me greatly. 

Besides Revival this weekend, it is also Black Friday. Have you snapped up any good bargains in the sales? 

I tried to pace myself this year but I may have made a few sneaky purchases. Eek!

 

Sneaky Gulls

Brand: One But Many

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm

Product Code: -

Last week I was in the good ol' city of Brisbane for work, so I wasn't able to post a photo up. I knew that I was heading there, and usually I'd give a heads up beforehand that no posts would be going up, but this time I just lost track of the time and didn't get around to it.

But that is OK, cos I have selected a puzzle for today and hopefully that will be satisfying enough for the time being. 

This one is from an Australian brand called One But Many, who have recently closed their doors, with the owner going on to new and different ventures. The puzzle was part of a range illustrated by Alice Achoo, and features a typical summers day at the beach. I loved the illustration when I first saw it and was impressed with the quality of the puzzle, even though it was quite pricey (as many independent puzzle manufacturers can be). 

Even though their online store and business is now closed, you still may be able to pick up this puzzle and others of the same brand second-hand. It's well-worth trying one at least once.

Everything Is Better With Ice Cream

Brand: SunsOut

Pieces: 500
Size: 45.72cm x 60.96cm

Product Code: 35935

It feels like summer is finally on it's way! Last weekend we had absolutely beautiful weather (although the rest of the week left a lot to be desired), daylight savings began (which means that it's lighter later) and yesterday, our favourite local ice cream shop reopened it's doors after a winter break! Sure, it's still spring now, but the warmer weather is a-coming! 

To celebrate, I have put up this puzzle of a few kids enjoying an ice cream from a very colourful ice cream truck. I love visiting these vans down by the beach- they really evoke the feeling of summer fun. It was especially wonderful during the lockdowns of the last few years when we had the trucks driving down suburban streets to do visits for birthdays and whatnot. They were such great moodlifters. 

The above puzzle is made up of irregular shaped pieces and the artwork was created by artist Tricia Reilly-Matthews. I think this is actually the second puzzle I have done/put up of an ice-cream truck related theme. Haha oh well, why not?!

I Like Birds

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code:  164196

I was having trouble deciding which puzzle to put up today so I thought I'd go with this colourful and sweet one from Ravensburger which depicts lots of pretty birds in various seasons.

As soon as I saw this design, I knew I had to get it- it's so pretty! 

Besides the copious amounts of puzzle dust (Ravensburger has seemed to have a problem with this of late), the puzzle was pretty much perfect- vibrant colours, good fit and quality pieces. 

Have you done this puzzle before? What did you think of it?

Ice Cream Desserts

Brand: Puzzlebug

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

Since my pregnancy began, I have had so many people asking me if I've had any cravings at all- real food or otherwise! I honestly didn't think that I had, until I thought about it more closely and realised that I've been eating (and wanting to eat) a lot more ice cream, sorbet, gelati, etc lately! Despite what my husband believes, I know it's true (he thinks I always wanted it anyway).That's my craving haha

I decided to put this puzzle up to celebrate this realisation, and also because I haven't put up any food ones in a while. This Puzzlebug puzzle was lower quality as expected (they usually are) but I still enjoy most of their designs and imagery. With this one, I was missing two pieces (as you can see in the background and corner) but for some reason there was one extra of another piece? So disappointing but not totally unexpected.. oh well! It's the first time that's happened in a while so I'm not too fussed, especially considering the price of the puzzle!

We'll see what next week brings!

Summer Doggy Days

Brand: Puzzlebug
Pieces: 100
Size: 22cm x 28cm
Product Code: -

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but at the moment, we're going through a bit of a heat wave! Over the last few days, we've had temperatures reaching over 40 degrees celcius! Wayyyyy too hot for me! Luckily I've been inside most of the time at work (with air conditioning)  but I've still felt the heat.

I thought I'd put up a 'summery' picture today because of this. This was one of the cheap Puzzlebug puzzles that I came across one day at Kmart. These puzzles usually have images different to those you would normally find,and I thought the above design was relevant to this post. Quick, easy, and relatively good quality for the price, these puzzles are alright for a bit of cheap fun. 

Summer 69 Bunte Converse

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 500
Size: 36cm x 49cm
Product Code:  146512

It feels like summer is coming to an end- the mornings are getting darker, the heat is fading from the day and it's getting darker earlier as each day comes to a close. While I'm no great fan of hotter weather, I will definitely miss the extra daylight hours that come with summer, and the chance to do more things at night before it gets dark. 

I have posted the above puzzle simply for it's reference to summer- with it's pretty watercolours and the iconic Converse branded chucks in a lovely hot pink, this puzzle was on my list for a long time before I just decided to buy and do it. I mean, why the hell not?! 

It was pretty easy to do and the colours are great- a nice one for when you want to get a quick puzzling fix :)

Colorful Boats On The Lake

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


How was your Christmas? I hope you had a fabulous day with your family and friends, and were able to fully enjoy the festivities!

Now, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you will know that this is not my usual posting day. I usually post up each Saturday morning (at the moment it's Friday night), but I'm going to be a bit out of the ordinary this week and put up my weekly post now. I'm heading off camping with friends for New Year's and we're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning. Hence, the reason I'm posting now- there's no way I can get up early enough to write something and still be ready in time to leave! And there is likely to be little by way of phone reception or internet access where we're going...

For my last puzzle post of the year, I have decided to put up a picture of Puzzlebug's Colorful Boats On The Lake. I was hoping to get a puzzle I have of fireworks done in time to celebrate the new year, but wasn't able to complete it in time. Maybe next year! 

I decided to put this one up because we're going to be near a lake (while camping) and it still has a summer- type of vibe for our southern-hemisphere new year celebrations.  

I hope you have a safe and happy new year and look forward to the adventures and puzzling that 2018 will bring!! 

Four Seasons

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 500 (Panoramic)
Size: 70cm x 25cm
Product Code:  147069

Even though it's only spring here in Australia, we've had a little bit of a heat wave of late. During the last week, Melbourne (as well as my hometown of Geelong, which is about an hour's drive away) has experienced temperatures of up to 30 degrees celcius and higher, giving us a taste of the hot summer to come. 

Because of this, I have decided to put up a picture of this Ravensburger panoramic puzzle Four Seasons. The seasons are clearly defined in this pretty little puzzle, with the changes signified by the changing tree and its surroundings. This puzzle was quite quick to do once the pieces were sorted into season sections, and the vibrant colours made it a treat to put together. 

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


Ravensburger Four Seasons Panorama Jigsaw Puzzle (500 Piece)

Summer Flower Bouquet

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

Well, today is Remembrance Day (11 November)- the day when most countries commemorate the end of the First World War and pay tribute to their fallen soldiers. 

While the day is usually symbolised with red poppies, I found that I don't actually have any puzzles in my collection that feature this theme, so I have instead decided to go with the above puzzle for my blog post today. While there are no poppies in the above bouquet, it's still a pretty bunch of flowers!

The above puzzle was quite quick to do, with the usual tiny pieces of your typical Cardinal puzzle making the dimensions small enough to do on a little piece of cardboard. I love it when you can do a puzzle on one of these because it makes the process so much easier than having to set up a big board! 

The colours were vibrant (although the photo doesn't quite do this justice) and the design was pretty.

A lovely addition to the puzzle collection :)

Buttercup Meadow (Santoro)

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 500
Size: 49cm x 36cm
Product Code:  146864

I'm not sure what the weather's like in your neck of the woods at the moment, but over the last few days, summer has certainly made it's presence felt where I live! We've had several days where the temperature has been over 30 degrees celsius- not something I terribly enjoy, unless there is a pool and cool drinks around to make it bearable! 

Because of the discomfort I've been feeling, I decided to do a puzzle with soft, calming colours (which still holds a summery feel) and couldn't go past the cutely illustrated Buttercup Meadow. Released by Ravensburger and designed by the clever folks at Santoro, this puzzle has a lot of similar colours (in the white and ecru tones of the sheep) which makes it a little bit more challenging than you would expect. There are also varying shades of green and blue throughout the design. 

This image is very cute, of high quality, and is one of a few that Santoro have collaborated with Ravensburger to release. I'll definitely be looking out for any others they may put out.