Brand: PuzzlebugPieces: 500
Size: 46cm x 28cm
Product Code: -
It's Autumn here at the moment and the weather is as unpredictable as ever!
Yesterday was freezing cold and felt like winter, while only a few days ago (around the Easter public holidays) we had such beautiful sunny and warm weather!
I basically chose to post this puzzle because I felt like the bright vibes of spring were evident in the design and I needed to see that to rid myself of the negative feelings this weather is bringing. It's not that I hate the cold - I actually prefer it- but only when it's winter!
This puzzle was very easy to do, and as I mentioned earlier, is vibrant and bright which instantly made it stand out to me.
Brand: New York Puzzle CompanyPieces: 200
Size: 48.3cm x 33cm
Product Code: -
I was in a whimsical mood this morning, and so I thought that today would be the perfect time to put up this adorable design from illustrator and author Emily Winfield Martin. As part of her Dream World collection, this cute design is almost perfect for Easter (you can pretend the Jackalope is an Easter Bunny!)
Before going to North America several years ago, I had never heard of a Jackalope. But a lot of the places that I visited embraced this mythological creature and sold merchandise of it. While I picked up this puzzle online (and many years later), it still brings back fond memories of my trip...
As for the puzzle itself, the pieces were quite large (probably because the design is aimed at a younger audience and has a piece count of 200), but it was still a pleasure to do. The design is pretty and the quality is great. There are a few other puzzles in this collection (with varying piece counts), so fans of Emily Winfield Martin will have plenty to go on with if they enjoy her designs.
Brand: RavensburgerPieces: 500
Size: 49cm x 36cm
Product Code: 145348
The Australian government has recently announced our federal elections will be happening on May 18, 2019, where we are to vote for the party that will represent Australia on the world stage.
Similarly, elections are taking place in India- with the general election scheduled to take place in seven phases from April 11 to May 19.
Now I'm not really a follower of politics and the like- I honestly couldn't care less unless it has a significant impact on my life and the ones I care about- but I thought I would take the opportunity to put up a picture of a puzzle that has links to India and the news!
This puzzle was pretty quick to do, however I'm not sure if it's actually available anymore- it may be out of print because I haven't seen it for sale in a very long time. On the box, it was called Taj Mahal but online (at the time of purchase) I kept seeing it listed as Oriental Marocco (which is why I put that title in brackets next to it).
The quality was great, the colours were vibrant and the image (as you can see), is lovely. I'm not sure if I would ever want to visit India considering all the poverty, but I can't help but be enticed by the beauty of this world famous mausoleum.
Brand: ColorluxePieces: 1500
Size: 58cm x 84cm
Product Code: -
The winter months are fast approaching in Australia, and that means more and more people are travelling internationally to get away from the winter blues. Although I visited America several years ago on a Contiki tour, I never got the opportunity to visit New York City.
This is one of the places I would love to see in real life one day.
I love musicals and to visit Broadway and see a show or two would be a dream!
Instead, I will have to settle for imagery of the place through jigsaw puzzles! This puzzle from Colorluxe is 1500 pieces and captures the bustle of the busy Broadway streets.
It wasn't very difficult to do, but I did get frustrated with the colour-sorting on the back. This is meant to make the puzzle easier for beginners by allowing them to sort the sections of the puzzle by colour and therefore helping them to work out where each piece goes. But I find the double-sided colour part tedious and annoying- I prefer to simply work from the image!
Regardless, the puzzle turned out well and the pieces fit together nicely.
These are great and cheap puzzles if you want a slightly different design.
Brand: Yanoman (Petit)Pieces: 204
Size: 10cm x 14.7cm
Product Code: 98-339
I've probably gone on about it in the past, but I absolutely love Japanese-branded puzzles! Not only are they usually of exceptional quality, but they always have amazing designs and the make is usually spot on- (the pieces are not too loose-fitting or too tight). Best of all (in my personal opinion), they usually have smaller pieces than other brands, which means that they take up less space dimension-wise! Win!
The above puzzle fits the above category perfectly. This one is from Yanoman's petit range, where the puzzle is made up of 204 tiny, tiny, pieces and the finished design is literally the size of a postcard. These puzzles come with a pair of tweezers too, to help people with larger fingers piece it together (if need be). Furthermore, each box is the size of a pack of playing cards, which means they're extremely affordable (postage-wise) if you want to buy a few.
I decided to put up the above photo today because, unlike other Disney characters, I don't think Lilo & Stitch get as much recognition as other more popular characters. It's Stitch's time to shine!!
Brand: Re-MarksPieces: 250
Size: 27.9cm x 35.6cm
Product Code: -
I always enjoy trying new puzzle brands- especially when they have interesting designs or are harder to get in Australia (in which case, I buy them online and get them sent to me from overseas)!
While this can sometimes prove expensive, it's something that I like to do occasionally (especially if there is a sale on) and can lead to some very cool purchases.
Like the above puzzle for example.
As far as I have been able to tell, Re-Marks is a brand that is virtually impossible to buy in store in Australia. Unless they have a stockist I am unaware of, the only way I have been able to buy any of their puzzles is online from America.
I purchased the above puzzle (and a few others) last year, and was not disappointed.
They have pretty and/or cute designs, the pieces fit well together and they have an altogether different look to some of the other illustrated imagery I have seen available. I enjoyed doing Forest Party- it was a nice, quick finish and the design was just perfect for what I felt like completing in that moment.
It's a brand I think I'll definitely be going back to...
Brand: PuzzlebugPieces: 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 :)
