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Category: Puzzles

Springtime at Chambord

Springtime at Chambord
Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 48 cm x 36 cm
Manufacturer: TCG, #58805-23
Author: Alamy
Puzzle: This puzzle is another view of the beautiful Chambord Château. I have previously assembled another 1000 piece puzzle of this magnificent castle.

I love puzzles where buildings reflect in the water, resulting in a mirror effect and the subtle difference in texture between the actual building and its reflection.

This puzzle is a breeze to assemble. Good places to start are the horizontal guides of the boundaries between the water and the wall, the wall and the grass, the grass and the castle, the castle and the sky, and the border created by the bottom left flowering bush. The castle itself has distinct parts — assembling the building, the grounds, and the river is simple. The sky and the bush are more intricate, but due to the puzzle’s small size not very challenging.

Beautiful, sunny, uplifting picture to get immersed in.

This puzzle came as part of a package of five 500-piece puzzles.

Portugal Azores Islands

Portugal Azores Islands
Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 48 cm x 36 cm
Manufacturer: TCG, #58805-23
Author: Günter Gräfenhain
Puzzle: Windmills always seem somewhat magical to me – an image from a quiet pastoral fantasy, drowning in luscious flowers, with bottomless blue skies. This puzzle is quite simple due to clear transitions and small number of pieces. I loved letting my mind wander in in its clouds and fields.

There are many good places to start: the bright red of the mills and the white nets of the blades, the boundaries between green and deep blue, the horizon, the mountains and the clouds against the sky. Hydrangeas are probably the most challenging part, but if you’ve filled in everything else, including the black shadows at the bottom, they soon fall into place.

This puzzle came as part of a package of five 500-piece puzzles.

Juniper

Juniper, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 30.02 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2014, No.51410ACN, A27054 LP
Photographer: Jiinna
Original: photo

Puzzle: Lovely holiday puzzle, with green juniper branches and blue tree decorations. More tricky than it seems, even with its small size. Good places to start are the tree decorations, the thick purple branches, and the patches of softer pink and blue background. From there, it’s a play of shades and textures of green for which good lighting is essential. Makes for a beautiful picture.

Puzzle: Booked Flight

Booked flight, med
Size:  550 pieces, 26 missing
Dimensions: 61 cm x 46 cm
Painting: original
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark, #2333-13
Artist: Don Maitz

Puzzle: Good puzzle to leisurely put together, even with so many pieces missing (I got it second-hand, and I think this is the most incomplete puzzle I’ve ever assembled). Good places to start are the wizard and dragon’s flame, the boundary of the wings against the background, and the dragon’s head and neck. Wing section borders serve as horizontal guides.

Puzzle: Sonata by Firelight, by Judy Gibson

Sonata by firelight, v2, medSize:  550 pieces, In 2013, I’ve put together another copy that was missing 3 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 61 cm
Producer: Master Pieces, #60105
Artist: Judy Gibson: Animals find their natural habitat in the artwork of Judy Gibson, whether depicted in soulful portraits, snuggled in cozy home settings, perched on snow-laden branches or engaged in spirited competition. Born in Paris, Texas, Gibson draws much of her inspiration from her deep love and respect for animals. In her teens, she painted portraits of prize bulls and horses for area ranchers, and still loves painting symbols of the Southwest. She works in oils, and also enjoys the spontaneity of watercolors. Gibson’s heartwarming art has adorned tapestries, jigsaw puzzles, wallpaper, computer screen-savers and numerous other products. [Art.com]
Painting: http://imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-print/judy-gibson-sonata-by-firelight_i-G-10-1010-UUYW000Z.jpg

Puzzle: Good regions to start are the white cat, the music sheets, the flower bouquet with the ivy, and the shawl, and the candle holder. The orange separator of the piano lid isolates the top left corner. Flames for the candles and the fireplace are easy to locate, as well as the bust and the wine glass. The keys of the piano, the rug near the fireplace, and the curtain can follow, and the rest of the pieces are trivial to place. Easy and pleasant puzzle to do.

Puzzle: Canal Life by Evgeny Lushpin

Canal Life, med
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 67.94 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Reflections series, 2015, CxC27 ASST DFD77, 966B, A10055LP, #50572
Artist: Evgeny Lushpin

Puzzle: Lovely city waterfront view with old buildings, bare trees, lanterns and lit windows, and the calm waters of the canal. Challenge is added by subdued colours and similar patterns of window light and blue/purple buildings, but the puzzle is not large and pieces fit well. Due to reflective golden highlights, good lighting is a bonus for this one.

Good places to start are the sky and its boundary with the buildings, the large tree at the far right, and the boat closest to the bottom with its lit interior. From there on, it takes a bit of time to assemble windows and the buildings. Reflections in the water help with the river and the boat boundaries. Steeples and building edges serve as vertical guides for the buildings. Overall, a serene and relaxing puzzle.

Puzzle: Rock Wall by Craig Joiner

Rock wall, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2015, CWR87 ASST DFC35, 966C, A15055LP, #51692
Artist: Craig Joiner

Puzzle: Beautiful yet non-trivial puzzle, due to very few distinct colours, lots of slight shade variations and repetitive patterns. Easiest places to start are the birch trees that can serve as the vertical guides later and the rock wall with its bright green moss, distinctly grey rocks, and lighter pink leaves in a few crevices. From that point on, it’s a play of shade and light, slow but rewarding assembly. This puzzle is good for contemplation time and can be stretched across multiple evenings.

Puzzle: New Sun Harbour by Dominic Davison

New Sun Harbour, med
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 67.94 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Reflections series, 2015, CxC29 ASST DFD77, 966B, A10055LP, #50572
Artist: Dominic Davison

Puzzle: Beautiful view of a harbour, with colourful reflections, sky in sunset colours, birds, boats, and a cozy cafe table with a green umbrella, a vase of flowers and a glass of wine.

Easiest places to start are the sky and its boundary with the buildings, the green umbrella, the blue and turquoise boats, reflections on the water, and the table. Buildings, boats, flowers, chairs, and the rest of the image falls into place afterwards. A wonderfully beautiful and relaxing puzzle.

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Puzzle: Riverside, California, U.S.A.

Riverside, California, medSize: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12 cm x 66.52 cm
Producer: MB Puzzle, Hasbro Canada, 2009, 17077C-43969
Photographer: Larry Ulrich

Puzzle: A colourful gazebo in a California park, with bright white steps, red pillars, orange roof and ornate decoration. Beautiful and peaceful puzzle to assemble, challenging enough to take a bit more time.

Good places to start are the orange striped roof and its border with the sky, the red pillars, the grass and the paths at the bottom, as well as the white steps and fence, and the red dome of the tower in the background. The more challenging parts are the sky, the greenery, and the brown tower and tree trunk regions.

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Puzzle: Lanterman’s Mill by Joseph Burgess

Lanterman's Mill, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 67.94 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Reflections series, 2015, CxC26 ASST DFD77, 966B, A31124LP, #50572
Artist: Joseph Burgess

Puzzle: Another puzzle from the Reflections series, this one depicts a peaceful landscape with a mill, flowing water, a covered bridge, and flower gardens. Serene and easy-to-assemble, it makes for a relaxing activity.

Good places to start are the mill building, its border with the sky, the flowing water, the bridge, and red and purple flowers. The ledge over which the waterfall flows as well as the tree trunks on the right can provide a horizontal and vertical guides respectively. The remaining colours are distinct and the areas small, so the rest of the pieces easily fall into place.

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Puzzle: Carnival Moon by Aimee Stewart

Carnival Moon, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 67.94 cm x 48.10 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Reflections series, 2015, CxC28 ASST DFD77, 966B, A11055LP, #50572
Artist: Aimee Stewart

Puzzle: Beautiful, vibrant puzzle of a street during a carnival – an uplifting and festive image. The variety of bright, well-separated colours and distinct gradients, in combination with easily-manageable 750 well-fitting pieces makes this puzzle a breeze to assemble. Good places to start are the pillar at the left and the woman standing by it, the moon, sky and tower near it, the bridge, the boat, and the water. Red and pink dresses are distinct, as are the balustrades, steps, and the lights under the bridge. The rest of the pieces fall into place easily.

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Puzzle: The Dreaming Tree

 The Dreaming Tree, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.1 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Fantastic Visions series, 2014, No. 50939ABN, A 12113 PP
Artist: Aimee Stewart
Original: artwork

Puzzle: With its wonderful fantasy imagery and subtle colour variation, this is one of my favourite puzzles, so much so that it decorates the wall above my work desk. Reminiscent of Elven trees from Middle Earth’s Lothlórien, Vallenwood trees from Dragonlance, and Ygdrassil tree ships from the Hyperion Cantos, its winding steps, dwellings, and terraces are a calming, inspiring sight.

The puzzle is not trivial, due to gradual colour changes and a variety of small elements. A good place to start is the yellow-orange region in the medium right, the dresses of figures ascending the staircase, the lit windows and the staircase, which can then serve as a near-vertical guide, splitting the picture into two regions. After that, darker green left side can be tackled, followed by red areas of tree bark, black bottom areas, and regions at the top of the tree. Good lighting is a bonus with this puzzle, but the beauty and detail in each region is worth extra effort.

Puzzle: Blue wall

Blue wall, med

Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 48.90 cm x 67.63 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Tropical series, 2014, No. 50937UCN, A03034PRC
Photographer: Hugh Harris
Original: photo

Puzzle: Jolly and colourful, this simple puzzle with large pieces was a hit with my son. He loved the bright colours and clear borders. Simple, vibrant, and refreshing.

Puzzle: Dancing Girl by Derjen

Derjen - Dancing girl 1, md

Size: 192 pieces
Dimensions: 9 cm x 9 cm x 13.8 cm
Producer: Pintoo, Q1040, #48861
Artist: Derjen

Puzzle: “Showpiece Lantern: A jigsaw worthy of display.
– Snug interlocking allows the puzzle to be displayed without glue.
– Puzzle stands on its own.
– Pieces are easy to move, and do not fall apart when picked up.
– Puzzle is made of durable, water proof plastic material.

Product name: Showpiece Lantern
Materials: PS
This puzzle contains > 160 pieces, > 32 hinge pieces, > 1 cover, > 1 stand
Use three AAA batteries for Lantern stand (purchase separately)
Designed in Taiwan.” [Puzzle box]

Notes: The imagery for this puzzle does look beautiful, and I had fun assembling all four sides of the lantern, together with my son. However, putting them together into a 3D shape has proven somewhat awkward. The small plastic pieces easily snap out of place and the completed shape does not have proper right angles. The lantern comes with a square black base and a square black top cover, both having grooves to presumably fit the lantern sides into them. In reality, due to an outward bend of every side, the lantern crumbles into pieces during attempts to fit the base or the cover on. I have been able to fit it into one or the other but not both. Still, even without the base, the assembled puzzle looks beautiful.

Derjen - Dancing girl 4, med Derjen - Dancing girl 3, med Derjen - Dancing girl 2, med Derjen - Dancing girl, med

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Puzzle: Song of the Southwest, Artifacts from the Hartman Collection

Song of the Southwest, Artifacts from the Hartman Collection, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 50.80 cm x 50.80 cm
Producer: Springbok, Hallmark, PZL2206

Puzzle: Beautiful, earthy colours showcasing unique artifacts — I loved this puzzle so much, it is now decorating our guest room wall. With a variety of textures and colours, it was a pleasure to put together.

Since there are so many areas of pattern, good areas to start are the only few solid colour patches of the wall, the green plants, and the red of the carpet. After that, turquoise jewellery pieces, the icon, and different bowls can be assembled separately. It’s fun to bring them together afterwards, and fill in the gaps with the carpet patterns.

Puzzle: Brown and Hopkins General Store, Chepachet, RI

Brown and Hopkins General Store, Chepachet, RI, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.24 cm x 50.48 cm
Producer: Milton Bradley (MB) Puzzle, Croxley series, 1995, 4611-3

Puzzle: First puzzle assembled in our new place — after all the moving and organizing, it was nice to get lost in the antique feel of this cozy store. The pieces fit together well, the puzzle is small enough to be simple to do, while a bit of challenge is being added by small repetitive detail of the merchandise shelves.

A good place to start is the wheel and the wooden bottom part of the display. The counter top separates the picture into top and bottom parts and provides a straight line guide around which the puzzle can be build. The colourful dishes with candy, the black boxes under the counter, the bench and the floor are good to tackle next. Then all that remains is to play with the tiny cans on shelves.

Puzzle: Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 48.10 cm x 68 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Windows to the World series, 2008, No.50580, 8006528 FO
Photographer: John and Debora Scanlan

Puzzle: Beautiful puzzle, lots of small detail adding to the challenge, but larger areas of gradient colours and the manageable size of 750 pieces make the assembly easier. Great places to start are the sky, the dark of the water, and the green hill bordering the sky. Bottom right region of uniform beige, the colourful stripes of the boats, and the ridged area near the water, in the bottom right quarter, as well as the close-up of a green plant at the bottom right, can be tackled next.

Larger buildings such as the orange/red one in the middle of the picture, yellow one next to it, and the white one ending the row of boats can be done next. From that point, it’s a bit more challenging, but vertical guides of completed buildings can help place the rest. Lovely imagery and fun to assemble.

Notes: Riomaggiore is a village in the province of La Spezia, situated in a small valley in the Liguria region of Italy. The village, dating from the early thirteenth century, is known for its historic character and its wine, produced by the town’s vineyards. [Wiki]

Riomaggiore is the most southern village of the Cinque Terre (“The Five Lands”), a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre is comprised of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. [Wiki]

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Puzzle: Colony of Sea Anemones

Colony of Sea Anemones, med

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 30.02 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2014, No.51410ABN, A04034 LP
Photographer: Oliver Hoffman

Puzzle: Small, but not trivial due to small repetitive patterns and areas of colour, this puzzle is a pleasure to tackle, thanks to well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces. Good places to start are the bright red centres of the anemones, and the purples at the top. The rest is a matter of fiddling with bright yellow petals and darker background areas.

Puzzle: Country Christmas

 Country Christmas, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 76.2 cm x 61 cm
Producer: Springbok, Hallmark, 2004, 1JIG10501

Puzzle: A beautiful, fairy-tale style puzzle depicting a cozy house, snugly wrapped in snow, surrounded by festive evergreens. This puzzle was a very calming one to assemble. Good places to start are the brown walls and white roof of the house, the lit-up windows and the staircase, the boundary with the sky, and the red and yellow decorated trees. The darker green trees can be next, followed by the snow-outlined tree in the top right and the snow at the bottom. The sky can come last.

Puzzle: Nautilus Shell

Nautilus Shell, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 30.02 cm x 48.26 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2014, No. 51410ABN, A 04034 LP
Photographer: Mircea Bezerghanu
Original: photo

Puzzle: From the same series as the Passion Flower puzzle, this lovely shell was a pleasure to put together. Not completely trivial due to repeating patterns, but with enough colour variation and clear outlines to easily guide the assembly. Good places to start are the red, purple and pink regions, dark spiral outline, followed by darker brown, pale blue, and bright yellow areas. The rest falls into place easily.