Vintage Dress Making

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 1000
Size:  70cm x 50cm

Product Code: 169283

If you've been following this account over the years, you would know that besides jigsaw puzzling, I'm an avid crafter and usually enter my cross stitch and embroidery into the town's local annual show. Because of this, I also enjoy doing puzzles that feature elements of my different passions, and so the above one was no exception.

While I have not attempted dressmaking (as yet) I loved the design of the above Ravensburger puzzle. 

The vibrant colours, busy design and pretty little details made the above puzzle a joy to do. 

Do you have other hobbies besides doing jigsaw puzzles? Do you try and find puzzles that feature cross-over designs with this hobby?

Vintage Knitting & Crochet

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 1000
Size:  70cm x 50cm

Product Code: 176205

Autumn is here and the days are starting to get a little cooler, which is why I have decided to post the above puzzle image- colourful wool and knits seemed like the perfect choice.

I loved the bright and vibrant colours in this design, as well as the throwbacks to vintage knitting patterns and retro photography. Even though knitting and crocheting are crafts I have yet to master, I am still fascinated by the process and would love to one day sit down and teach myself properly. I have attempted both a few times but other projects have always come along and I've set the learning aside to do those instead. One day! 

Is there a particular craft or hobby you enjoy doing besides jigsaw puzzles? Have you found a cross-over where you can do a jigsaw puzzle based on that craft or hobby? Let me know!

Ocean Liner

Brand: Blue Kazoo

Pieces: 1000
Size: 50.8cm x 76cm

Product Code: -

I'm back!

After a lovely week spent in Vanuatu with the family, I am back to cold and blustery Geelong. Although I have to say I'm not totally disappointed, because although it was a great holiday, it's also very nice to be back home. 

While we were there, two cruise ships pulled into Port Vila. These are huge days for the town, because it means a booming tourist day and lots of business, so I thought I would share this puzzle that I completed some time back from Blue Kazoo's Across The Continent: A Vintage Travel series. I have all three of the puzzles in this collection (the other two are a plane and a train) but this one is fitting considering the huge cruise boats that we saw. 

The quality was exceptional, although I'm disappointed because they have some new designs but are not currently shipping to Australia. Hopefully this will be rectified soon, but, until then, I'll just have to get the other designs completed.

Now I need to catch up on some post-holiday work... 

See you next week!

Vintage Games

Brand: Ravensburger

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm

Product Code: 194063

I've decided to put this older puzzle up today, as it has been sitting in my photo collection for quite a while and I thought it might be time to show it. 

The weather lately has been pretty lousy- cold, wet and miserable- which is the perfect time to get out the old gameboards and play something different. This puzzle features all of the classics, such as cards, bingo, checkers, dominoes and a whole lot more. The vintage style is really accentuated with the colours chosen for the design.

This puzzle was easy enough to do, once you sorted by different features. 

Do you have a go-to in your games cupboard for cold winter nights?

Cosmic Voyage

Brand: Crown & Andrews (The World's Most Beautiful Jigsaw Puzzles)

Pieces: 1000
Size: 49cm x 68.5cm

Product Code: -

It's so frustrating that I have so many puzzles, but when I want to put up a particular themed image, I can't find it! 

Take this week for example. 

During the week it was May the 4th (Star Wars day). Do you think I could find an image today to put up? No! 

I know for a fact that I have several Star Wars puzzles in my to-do pile but I haven't completed any lately to post! It's also Mother's Day tomorrow but I couldn't find anything appropriate in my saved photos for the day. 

So instead I'm going with a vintage puzzle I did (and have owned since I was a child). The relevance? There isn't any really. I like the image and feel like putting it up. I went through a real dolphin faze when I was in school and this was a puzzle I adored doing at the time. The design is by Christian Riese Lassen. I'm not sure if you can still get designs by him?

Do you have a stack of puzzles you want to do but haven't gotten around to yet? I have literally hundreds and I keep finding more I want to get. This situation is getting out of hand haha. I need to start putting restrictions on myself, especially when stores put new puzzles on sale!

Narelle Wildman: Poppies

Brand: Blue Opal (The Art Collection)

Pieces: 1000
Size: 73cm x 48.6cm
Product Code:  BL00709

I was debating with myself about whether I would post this puzzle today or next week (because the title is Poppies and next weekend is ANZAC Day), but I decided to go ahead with it this week. The poppies above are not really symbolic of the ones we look at and commemorate for the occasion so I can probably get away with it! 

The main reason I wanted to post this is because it is an old puzzle that I dug out of my collection and decided to redo. 

In my last post I was talking about all the new puzzles I have purchased and how I'm starting to become overwhelmed by my addiction to buying new. But I have just as many old ones that have sat in my collection for years (even decades) that I might have to revisit before saying goodbye to them. 

The above puzzle is one of those. 

I remember taking up (what felt like) half of the kitchen table when I first did this at my husband's (then boyfriend's) house nearly 10 years ago. I didn't get a good photo when I finally completed it cos the room was quite dark and I had no way of moving the puzzle. Now, I'm a bit more organised and have more space so I decided to redo it and take a photo so I could finally sell it and say goodbye. 

I don't think Blue Opal makes this collection anymore so it was good to have and try it. The pieces fit together relatively well and the colours are vibrant, with shades that are quite similar (so it took a while to get some sections together). Overall, though, I'm happy with the puzzle and even though it will be sad to get rid of it, I can be happy in the knowledge that I completed it and someone else will get to enjoy it. 

How old is the oldest puzzle in your collection? How many times have you completed it? Will you ever get rid of it?

Flipper Romance

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 500
Size: 49cm x 36cm
Product Code:  141524

I don't know about you, but do you have a jigsaw puzzle that you have grown up with and done numerous times? I have a few like this, which I have always gone back to and re-completed, even though I have no real reason to do so. The puzzle above is one of them. I probably got this one when I was about 8 or 9 and have done it sooo many times. 

Now, in my big clear out, I have decided to complete it one last time and say goodbye. 

I've had hours of pleasure from it and I feel like I should give someone else some of the joy of doing it. 

I have (obviously) taken a picture of it for posterity and I will be listing it on eBay with some of my others over the coming days. While it will be sad to see it go, I'm also grateful that I was able to keep it for so long and complete it so many times! I don't even do that with any of the puzzles I purchase now so this one is particularly special. 

I've also managed to keep it in great condition, with no pieces missing and only a tiny bit of scuffing (one line) on the bottom of the image from age. 

Have you got a puzzle in your collection that's close to your heart? 

Do you think you'll ever say goodbye to it?

Vintage Nancy Drew

Brand: Cobble Hill
Pieces: 1000
Size: 67.6cm x 48.9cm
Product Code:  80051

You have no idea how excited I am to tell you this- during the week, libraries opened up again! 
My heart is full :)

Because I work during the week and they are only operating for limited hours, I haven't had the chance to go in yet but I plan on making my first visit back today. I'm so excited! (Trust me, I know how nerdy that sounds lol).

To celebrate, I have decided to put up a puzzle that I did a little while ago of the Nancy Drew book series by Carolyn Keene. When I was a kid, I used to devour her adventure/detective stories. They were the best! And when I saw that Cobble Hill had produced a puzzle featuring some of the vintage book covers, I knew I definitely had to do it! It brought back so many fond memories.

This puzzle was quite quick to do- I worked mainly by each cover, piecing them together as I went. The only issue I really came across was when I was photographing it (so you can blame me rather than the puzzle) I couldn't get a nice clear photo of all the covers! Sometimes the text would be too light-coloured to read clearly. But the above was the best I could do so I'll just have to settle for it. It brings nice memories back anyway. 

Nancy Drew was just one of my many favourite book series. Which ones did you love?

Cadbury Heritage Collection: Milk Maid

Brand: Spear's Games
Pieces: 500
Size: 51cm x 35cm
Product Code: -

It feels like I'm running a repeat of last year! I'm pretty sure I did the exact same thing a year ago where I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have any Easter-themed or chocolatey puzzles and was saying I would purchase and do one for the following year... Massive fail. I didn't do it at all! And that time of the year has come around again! Oops!

To be fair, it doesn't really feel like Easter is here. My husband and I will be having a quiet one at home with just the two of us- not going to visit our families like we usually would. Which means no big Easter feast or exchanging of Easter eggs! Oh well, I guess there's not much we can do about that.

On the plus side, being at home more has meant that I have been able to get a few more puzzles done (as much as Hubby dislikes the fact that I'm not doing much else). I found this puzzle from my childhood that I decided to do for today's post- simply because it mentions the word 'chocolate' (good old Cadbury) and that's as close to an Easter puzzle that I'm going to get! 

I must have done this puzzle a hundred times when I was younger. It's such a vintage image! I'm sure this puzzle was produced and released in the 1990s, although I'm not quite sure when. I don't even know if the company that made it even exists anymore! 

Unfortunately there is a piece missing but I think it disappeared long ago- it isn't a recent loss!

Have you unearthed any old puzzles from your childhood and redone them in adulthood? Has it created a sense of nostalgia for you? 

I hope you have a wonderful and safe iso Easter and I'll see you next week 

Political World Map

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code: 156528

Like a lot of people around the world, I have recently begun to stay at home during this corona-virus crisis. While our Government is still allowing my workplace to remain open (despite the fact that it really is not an essential business), I have decided it will be safer to stay home and avoid working in a shopping centre. With so many other stores closing, I hope that my boss will soon follow and allow my colleagues to also stay home. 

As for my other job, I think I will still continue to work there as long as they are able to remain open. They are technically an essential business (because they cater to the agricultural and dairy industries) and there are only five of us (including me) in a huge warehouse-type space. We're way more than the required distance apart and there's plenty of room! I also need the money, with one stream of income cut, so we'll see how that goes! 

In the meantime, I have dug out a really old puzzle that I remember purchasing while at university (over 10 years ago!) The population figures may no longer be correct along the bottom, but it was still a fun exercise to try and remember my geography while putting the puzzle together.

Hopefully we'll all get through this very soon. 

Stay home and stay safe.

Disney Vintage Posters

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code: 198740

It's been a while so we're going Disney again today!

The above puzzle by Ravensburger features a collection of vintage posters advertising various Disney films on their original release.I love the layered effect of the design, and the informative border that tells the name of each film and its release year. It's amazing how all of these films have stood the test of time and are still popular today, despite decades having passed! 

Even more amazing is the fact that some of these films are so well-loved that Disney is remaking/ has remade several as part of their live-action reboots over the last few years- inspiring a new generation of Disney lovers and dividing the rest of us about which film is better (the original or the remake!) 

Whatever your preference, there is no doubt that the films in this design are universally loved,and this puzzle is perfect for fans of each and every one of them! 

Boxes Of Vintage Chalk

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

Even though their puzzles are quite cheap ($2 each- bargain!), I have rarely had any problems with the Puzzlebug brand. 

Available for purchase at Kmart in Australia, these puzzles come in a variety of interesting designs that are very different to puzzles of a more superior quality. They also release new designs quite regularly, so there is always something different to choose.  

As I mentioned earlier, they are extremely affordable, which can be a hazard if you're trying to save your money. You'll end up buying all of the puzzles of a new release because it will only cost as much as one ordinary puzzle of the same piece-count! What a trap!

The pieces generally fit together well and I've only had a few where the pieces were super poor quality (or where there was a piece missing), although this is not really a concern when you consider how much it cost to buy it. 

I came across the above design and thought it was quite different. I have to admit that I do like collage-style imagery so this was a perfect little spend- just something extra to add to the collection :) 

Vintage Collection Ladybird ABC

Brand: Lagoon
Pieces: 500
Size: 45cm x 45cm
Product Code: 3767

So I thought, being the Easter long weekend that I might put up a puzzle that is symbolic of the holiday. You know, a puzzle that features chocolate, or the Easter Bunny, or even some sort of religious icon... Turns out I don't have any! (I'll have to remedy that before next Easter rolls around!) 

The only concession I could make was this puzzle, which I did long ago, and which features a rabbit as the representative for R. How sad that this was all I had...

This puzzle was quite easy and quick to do, especially when sorted into coloured blocks, and the quality was alright, although I have done similar puzzles of a better cardboard sturdiness. You really get the vintage feels with this puzzle... 

Anyway, have a Happy Easter and I'll see you next week. Hopefully next year's offering will be a tad more interesting! 

The Junction Express

Brand: SunsOut
Pieces: 500
Size: 18" x 24" (45.7cm x 61cm)
Product Code: 36626

Sometimes I have a reason for posting a particular puzzle, usually in commemoration of a certain day or event. 

Sometimes I don't! 

Today is one of those days- when I saw this puzzle photo sitting in my folder I thought,  'Why not?' 
So here it is!

This SunsOut puzzle is made up of uniquely shaped pieces and was a pleasure to do. Because the colours are so vibrant, it was quite quick to sort and put together, and because of the size, I was able to do it on a smaller board, making it much more manageable. If I do any transport puzzles, it's usually of classic cars rather than locomotives, so doing a train puzzle was a nice change from the norm...

I think it came out a treat! 

Tin Robots

Brand: Ravensburger
Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code:   81346

There's only 9 days left till Christmas, and while I'm tempted to put up a Christmas-themed puzzle, I think I might wait and leave it till next week.

Instead, I have decided to put up a picture of a puzzle called Tin Robots, by Ravensburger. I'm not sure why this puzzle image appealed so much to me, but when I saw it, I knew that I liked the old-school style of it, and I had to do it! 

I haven't really got much more to add to this post- as usual, the quality of the puzzle was as wonderful as expected for this brand. 

Now I'm going to sort out what Christmas shopping I have left to do... and work out which Christmas-themed puzzle to put up next week! 

Digging Up Roses

Brand: Kodacolor Puzzles
Pieces: 100
Size: 29cm x 41cm
Product Code:  20100

Well, I'm back! And I'm happy to say that I'm feeling much better this week than I was at the same time last Saturday! I appeared to have a very short but brutal case of the cold- with very flu-like symptoms- but luckily that's mostly gone now.

Last week- on August 26 to be exact- it was National Dog Day in Australia. If I had realised last Saturday (the actual day), I would have put this puzzle picture up then. As it was, I didn't, and so I am putting it up now.

This was a puzzle from my childhood that I dug out when my parents made me do a cleanup of some of our old things stored in the garage. I highly doubt that you'd be able to find it in stores now. In fact, I don't know whether the brand even exists anymore! The pieces in this puzzle were large, made of thin cardboard (not the greatest quality) and obviously aimed at children. But oh well, nostalgia!

I decided to put this one up in a late commemoration of National Dog Day- we'll see what next week brings...