Size: 500 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm
Manufacturer: Galison, ISBN: 978-0-43535174-5, MO41720D
Artist: Julie Seabrook
Box: photo
Tag: nature mort
Smells like Spring
Size: 500 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm
Manufacturer: Galison, M102321A, ISBN: 978-0-7353-7452-2
Artist: Zoe Shaeffer
Box: photo
Flower barrels
Size: 1000 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 68.58 cm
Manufacturer: The Canadian Group, #40622-14
Photographer: Yulia Grigoryeva
Box: photo
Up, up and away
Size: 1000 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 51 cm x 73.5 cm
Manufacturer: Flame Tree Publishing, FTJP28
Artist: Nel Whatmore
Box: photo
Vintage summer books
Size: 1000 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 50 cm x 68 cm
Manufacturer: Buffalo Games, 91520
Artist: Aimee Stewart – Aimee Stewart gladly adopts the title ‘Renaissance Woman’, and for good reason. As a self taught artist, photographer and writer who has music in her soul and daydreams in her blood, she lives life as one giant creative endeavor.
In 1999, Aimee started dabbling in website design. By 2005, she had made the leap from simple graphics to experimental photomanipulation. Since then, Aimee has excelled in erasing the lines between ‘digital’ art and ‘traditional’ art, until only the inspired creation remains. [Bio on Aimee Stewart site]
Box: photo
Flowers Bouquet
Size: 1000 pieces
Available for purchase on eBay
Dimensions: 48.89 cm x 67.63 cm
Manufacturer: The Canadian Group, 6000-5883, Art.: 2147905
Box: photo
Raspberry Tart
Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 68 cm x 48 cm
Manufacturer: Mega Puzzles, No. 50931ABN, A 24024 PP
Photographer: zoryanchik / Shutterstock
Original: photograph
Puzzle: Bright and uplifting, this puzzle is an eye candy. Some challenging areas where similar colours are blended in slightly different ways. Easiest places to start are the green leaves, the pink tin, the bright red berries, the white plate and the chocolate tart. Large areas of uniform pattern and colour would benefit from good lighting.
Puzzle: Song of the Southwest, Artifacts from the Hartman Collection
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
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: Mixed Berries Collage
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.5 cm
Producer: TCG, Sure-Lox, Collage series, 2014, #44719-4
Photographer: Alix Mullins
Puzzle: From the same series as Shell Game, this deliciously-looking puzzle is a bit more complicated, due to many repetitions of similar colours and texture patterns. I liked starting with the green leaves and distinct colours — light blue of the bottom blueberries, bright yellow, peach and orange fruit, and the cherry stems in the bottom right and top left. For the rest, the assembly was leisurely, larger strawberries coming together first with smaller berries later filling in the gaps. The Sure-Lox pieces make the assembly quite enjoyable.
“Sure-Lox™ is a trusted quality brand. This collection of puzzles features extra thick puzzle pieces that are fully interlocking and uniquely shaped. Sure-Lox™ puzzles come in a durable, restorable box! All designed to make puzzling more fun! Image is everything!” [Puzzle box]
“Lose yourself in the entrancing imagery of the Collages artistic puzzle collection. Enjoy the challenge of piecing together these fun and playful collages of beautifully photographed subjects, like mouth-watering foods, creative crafts and more! Rich with vibrant colours and exceptional detail, these collages make for incredible works of art.” [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Shell Game
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.5 cm
Producer: TCG (formerly The Canadian Group), Sure-Lox, Collages series, 2014, #44719-6
Artist: Lisa Fondo
Puzzle: Lovely puzzle – not trivial, but quite enjoyable with a variety of textures and shades of blue and purple. This is one of my son’s favourites – even before it was completed, he has asked that we put it up above his bed where it now resides.
Lots of ways to approach this puzzle: I have started with the large shell, assembling the smaller shells in parallel, and larger pieces of glass, followed by the dried seaweed on the right. After that, it was the matter of filling up every nook and cranny with little pieces of colour and pattern. Slow and indulgent, this puzzle requires a keen eye.
“Sure-Lox™ is a trusted quality brand. This collection of puzzles features extra thick puzzle pieces that are fully interlocking and uniquely shaped. Sure-Lox™ puzzles come in a durable, restorable box! All designed to make puzzling more fun! Image is everything!” [Puzzle box]
“Lose yourself in the entrancing imagery of the Collages artistic puzzle collection. Enjoy the challenge of piecing together these fun and playful collages of beautifully photographed subjects, like mouth-watering foods, creative crafts and more! Rich with vibrant colours and exceptional detail, these collages make for incredible works of art.” [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Paint pigment in the sun in Kathmandu, Nepal
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 63 cm
Producer: Ceaco, package of 2 puzzles, 2013, #3210-1
Photographer: bezikus
Original: photo
Puzzle: Together in the package with Untitled. How I wish the puzzle manufacturers clearly indicated the picture title and author. It’s so simple, yet some omit the titles whereas others indicate over 6 photographers for the full puzzle series instead of indicating the author for the one image in question.
This lovely puzzle was picked by my four-year-old and he enjoyed helping me put it together. The top six bags are very easy to assemble since the colours are distinct and borders clear. The bottom four are a bit harder, although pretty quickly different shades of red and different textures stand out. Beautiful vibrant puzzle – a pleasure to do.
Puzzle: Déjà view
Size: 500+ pieces
Dimensions: 61.5 cm x 46.5 cm
Producer: Unknown – I do not have the box anymore, if you know the producer and the series, could you please share?
Puzzle: Not a trivial puzzle to do due to many similar regions and the lack of large uniform colour patches. One could start with the bright accessories – the ribbon, the bouquet, small flowers, the butterflies, the feather, the hair piece, and the round peacock feather. The brighter white and yellow postcards and letters can be filled in afterwards, as well as the black photos and the photo in the black oval frame. For the rest of the puzzle, it takes a bit of time to complete, but as the pieces are large and it’s not a big puzzle, I would not say it is hard.
Puzzle: Afternoon Tea
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series
Puzzle: A Mother’s Cupboard series puzzle (there is another Blue by You one), small and simple to assemble. It’s easiest to start with the shelf, since it splits the picture into two regions. The brighter pink and blue cups, as well as the hanging cups handles can be assembled next. Since the puzzle is small and the pieces fit together well, the rest should be easy enough to complete.
Puzzle: Blue by You
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series
Puzzle: A Mother’s Cupboard series puzzle (there is another Afternoon Tea one), small and simple to assemble. The good regions to approach first are the basket, the wooden box, the flowers, and the horizontal shelf. After that the rest of the pieces are quite similar and might take a little time to place.
Puzzle: Pumpkins
Puzzle: Lakeside Retreat by John Powell
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Artist: John Powell has worked in the arts through out his life. Born in Hollywood, California, he began to paint at the age of 16. Over the past 35 years he has melded his life experiences into a signature style of painting. His paintings are precise and intricate, laced with lyrical realism and expressing his love for color, flowers, gardens, pottery and art from around the world, interesting fabrics and visions of his travels.
Painting: original
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, 2013, #44724-1
Puzzle: Beautifully-complex puzzle with many colourful regions. There are many ways to approach it: some of the easier parts to assemble first are the turquoise flower pot, the blue box in the bottom right, the red cloth draped over the bench, the checkered rose tablecloth, the pears and their bowl, the large and smaller red vases, the yellow flowered tablecloth, the bottom left corner, the flowers in the vases, and the river in the background. There are many other smaller distinct regions that can then be positioned in place.
Puzzle: Nature mort in rose
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 60 cm
Producer: unknown
Notes: I’m missing the box for this puzzle and am unable to find the real name of it or the producer. If you have that information, could you please let me know?
Puzzle: An easy puzzle to do with pieces fitting well together. Distinct colour ranges on the yellow drawing, the rose curtain, the pillars, the blue of the window, the vertical guides of the candle and the books, as well as the horizontal guide of the table edge, split this puzzle into easy-to-manage regions. The pieces are large and the colours distinct enough to enjoy even in suboptimal lighting.
Puzzle: Citrus nature mort
Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 61 cm x 46 cm
Producer: Ceaco, Culinary Classics series, 1999, #2319-6
Notes: A lovely and zen puzzle to assemble. There are many ways to approach it: I have started with the tallest bottle and the tall jar with orange contents, followed by the red flowers and the blue fence in the background. The red peppers, white towel and garlic, the basket, and cut up lemons and limes followed. The fruit in the basket and under it came after, and the rest of the pieces came together easily then.
Puzzle: Collector’s Cupboard
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series
Puzzle: Some days I like nature mort compositions. This one is not completely trivial, since there are so many white areas and most cups look similar, but it is small enough for that not to present too much challenge. The shelf is the easiest place to start, as it separates the puzzle into two areas providing a good horizontal guide. The distinct colour areas such as lavender and blue cups, as well as the round edges and patterns on the plates are easy to assemble, as well as the glasses on the bottom shelf. The wall pattern and the rest of the cups can follow.