Star Wars: A Very Vader Christmas

Brand: Buffalo

Pieces: 300
Size: 54cm x 38cm
Product Code:  92500-2803

OK I did it. 

I just couldn't help myself.

In my own flimsy self-defence, I didn't have any other Christmas-themed puzzles in my photo collection that I could put up, but the fact that I've done two in a row of Buffalo, Star Wars and piece count is a little bit sad. 

You'll just have to show some Christmas spirit and forgive me for it! Haha 

I'll have to make sure I have some more Christmas puzzles in my collection before December rolls around next year...

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas- the next time I post will be in the year 2021 so I hope you also have a safe and happy New Year!

Keep puzzling!

Star Wars: Holiday Yoda

Brand: Buffalo

Pieces: 300
Size: 54cm x 38cm
Product Code:  92500-2805

Following the finale last night of Disney Plus' second season of The Mandalorian, I had big plans to put up a picture of the Baby Yoda puzzle that accompanied the Mandalorian one I put up several weeks ago.

But then I realise that there are only 6 days to go until Christmas, and that since I only really post on Saturdays, it would be past Christmas when I put up my next post- unless I make an exception this time of course! 

So I thought in a slight compromise, I would put up the above puzzle- it features Yoda (the real one, not baby Grogu) and a nice Christmas-y theme. I'll just have to leave the other puzzle for a different time- maybe when series 3 is announced?

The above puzzle was quite fun to do and there is an accompanying Vader one in the series (which I have also done, but will hold off on posting for a while). 

I hope you have a merry and safe Christmas and I'll probably post at least once more before the year is out. 

Hopefully next year will be a lot better than this year has been!

The Little Mermaid

 Brand: Ceaco

Pieces: 500
Size: 46cm x 36cm
Product Code:  -

Disney has recently released news of their latest 'live action' casting for The Little Mermaid and it's looking to be a corker! I know there have been a few people wishing that the films would be left alone, but this one (well the cast, anyway) looks as though it is going to be absolutely wonderful. 

That's why I decided to put this puzzle up today- The Little Mermaid is harder to come by than some of the other Disney characters. This was one of the Thomas Kinkade 4-in-1 Disney puzzles that I completed a little while back. It came in the S3 box with Winnie the Pooh, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

Can't go past a Disney puzzle!

Game Of Thrones: Fire And Ice

Brand: Buffalo

Pieces: 500
Size: 54cm x 38cm
Product Code:  03350-3358

I'm an avid reader, and have been since I first picked up a book as a young child. 

But one series that I have never read, despite watching the entire show, is The Song Of Fire And Ice (aka Game Of Thrones), written by George R. R. Martin. I really enjoyed the HBO television series but I can't bring myself to actually read the books. 

It's not only because the show deviated from them so early on, but the main reason is that he has never finished them (and doesn't appear to be interested in doing so either). While working at the bookshop, I can't tell you the amount of times that fans would come in, looking for the next book in the series (which keeps getting pushed back again and again). I swear the man has given up and not even begun to start writing. 

Instead, he has released side stories from the series that have links to the characters but don't continue the story arc of the series. This frustrates me so much that I don't want to start the series and have to wait an indefinite amount of time before I can find out what happens next. I've seen how the fans react to waiting this long and just don't want to join that tribe.

I read online yesterday that a new series based on the backstory of the Targaryen's is in the works, which has further fueled the ire of fans, who are again asking why the author can spend so much time on the shows, rather than finishing the series. 

I'm interested to see how it all pans out, but in the meantime, I thought I'd put up a photo of one of the GoT puzzles I have done by Buffalo. This one was good quality and pretty quick to do- I liked the contrast in the design between the ice and fire...

Flinders Street Station, VIC

Brand: Ken Duncan Images Of Australia (Crown & Andrews)- The World's Most Beautiful Jigsaw Puzzles
Pieces: 504
Size: 64cm x 24cm
Product Code:  -

Over the last few months there have been many people critical over the way the Victorian Government has handled the corona virus. The state of Victoria was in major lockdown, with the city of Melbourne hardest hit- I think I heard somewhere that Melbournians were facing some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world! 

But those months of restrictions and sacrifices are now over! Yay! Victoria has recorded over 28 days of virus free living! Those who complained can now see the proof that what was done to eradicate the virus was successful. Of course, it's not completely eradicated (it can always be reintroduced by travellers once all the state borders open and international travel begins properly again) but for now we're on a high!

We're in a much better position than the pain and horror that many overseas countries are facing right now- the USA and some countries in Europe are facing hundreds of thousands cases a day! Crazy! Hope they start to see some recovery soon...

To celebrate Victoria's success, I have put up a puzzle featuring Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station. It's such a beautiful and recognisable piece of architecture, which will be super busy again in no time as people freely begin to travel again. 

Cute Giant Panda

Brand: Puzzlebug

Pieces: 100

Size: 22cm x 28cm
Product Code: -

How cute are Giant Pandas? I was going to put this picture up a few months ago following the news that a Panda had given birth to twins at a zoo somewhere overseas, but obviously that never eventuated and I ended up putting up something else instead. 

Having remembered it now, I have decided to put the photo up. 

This was a cheap Puzzlebug puzzle, so the quality wasn't particularly great, but despite this, I still continue to buy them for their images and designs. They always look so appealing! Oh well...

Tinker Bell And Peter Pan Fly To Neverland

Brand: Ceaco

Pieces: 500

Size: 46cm x 36cm
Product Code: -

Today I have decided to put up a photo of this puzzle, which is part of a 4-puzzle-pack by Thomas Kinkade (Series 1 for anyone who is interested). And the reason for this one? Well I have recently finished reading a book that featured the characters from Peter Pan- focusing mainly on Tinker Bell and Wendy and I was inspired to put this puzzle up because of that. 

The book is part of the Disney Twisted Tales series (printed by Scholastic) and, while it is aimed at younger readers, it is fantastic nonetheless. Each book questions the events in a particular Disney story, and inverts it completely to make an entirely new story. For example, in the one I just finished (called Straight On Till Morning), the story takes a turn and asks what would have happened if Wendy went to Neverland with Captain Hook? (Rather than Peter Pan as she does in the original book). I also read one recently called Let It Go (based on Frozen) which is rewritten as though Elsa and Anna never knew each other. 

I love inverted fairytales as much as I love the originals and so this series is a joy to read. There are plenty more in the series if you are interested... but back to the puzzle. 

This puzzle was great Ceaco quality and I enjoyed finding all the little extra details in it, as Thomas Kinkade is known for doing. You can't really tell clearly from my photo but the clouds are outlines of Captain Hook and the pirates, ensuring that they are included in the illustration. I did the other puzzles in this box too and will eventually put them up. These are great illustrated puzzles and I intend to do them all eventually.