Puzzles Archives – Page 4 of 29

Archive by category "Puzzles" (Page 4)

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: Untitled, Buildings along a waterfront

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 63 cm
Producer: Ceaco, package of 2 puzzles, 2013, #3210-1
Photographer: Lester A. Garcia
Original: photo

Puzzle: Together in the package with Paint pigment in the sun in Kathmandu, Nepal

Unfortunately untitled by the puzzle manufacturer, it took me a while to find the original photo on which this puzzle was based. Beautiful image and a very easy-flowing assembly, this puzzle is a pleasure. My 4-year old loved helping me with this puzzle, whereas normally 1000-piece ones are a bit too big for him to tackle. The clear vibrant colours of the buildings separated by distinct vertical and horizontal guides provided by the building boundaries and embellishments, split up by large windows, are very simple to assemble. The bottom part with its clear waterfront horizontal guide and reflections in calm water, ripples creating additional horizontal guides, logically follows.

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: Prisoner by Nadia Strelkina

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: Lafayette Puzzle Factory, Goldenline Fairies series, APL33650LK0812, #0213
Artist: Nadia Strelkina
Painting: photo
Box: photo
Puzzle: From the same series as Fairy Key, this is a beautiful puzzle – a pleasure for the eye. I suggest starting from the lighter coloured part of the dress and the light background around the fairy, the exposed skin, the torch fire, and the castle at the bottom right. The lighter background border with the dragon wings, the purple ends of the dress, the tree in the top left, and the flowers in the fairy’s hair can follow. The boys in the bottom left, the ships on the river, and the rest of the fairy and the dragon can then complete the assembly.

Puzzle: Arctic Night

Size: 100 pieces
Dimensions: 22.86cm x 17.78cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Simple puzzle, great for kids. My almost four-year old needed only a little help to complete it. Good place to start is the purple and yellow sky and its border with the mountains. Next can come the polar bear with the cub, the black of penguins and dolphins, and the water surface with ripples. The rest of the puzzle should then fall into place.

Puzzle: Into the Wind by Sally Caldwell Fisher

Size: 234 pieces
Dimensions: 15.24 cm x 10.16 cm
Producer: TDC Puzzles, Item #7180
Artist: Sally Caldwell Fisher
Package: photo

Puzzle: “The World’s Smallest Jigsaw Puzzle. This puzzle has 234 of the smallest pieces ever to be die-cut. Tweezers are included to help you with this ultimate puzzle challenge. Good Luck!” [Puzzle box]

Similar to the Times Square puzzle, this puzzle had pieces that were too small to fit well and make the assembly enjoyable, but I liked it more due to the beauty of the image itself. I have assembled the colourful sails first followed by their reflections. The rest of the water was easy to complete due to ripples indicating direction, and the white of the clouds helped with the completion of the sky.

Puzzle: Times Square

Size: 234 pieces
Dimensions: 15.24 cm x 10.16 cm
Producer: TDC Puzzles, Item #7177
Photographer: Tony Shi
Original: photo
Package: photo

It being such a small puzzle that tweezers have to be included to handle the pieces, just like Into the Wind by Sally Caldwell Fisher, my friends thought it would make an interesting addition to my collection. Although the novelty factor is there, I can’t say I enjoyed putting this puzzle together.

Since it’s such a harlequin puzzle with blinding clashing colours, there is no one good sequence to assemble it. I started with the sky as it’s the most uniform area in the entire puzzle, followed by the red truck, the road, the beige and red patches of colour, and proceeded in random manner from that point.

Puzzle: Unicorn Waterfall

Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 27.94cm x 38.1cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Lovely vibrant colours. We did this puzzle with my almost four-year old, and he quite enjoyed it. Good places to start are the orange ground, the purple sky and yellow mountain top, the green bushes at the bottom, the lilac haze along the right side, and the dark purple tree. Next can come the unicorn body, face, and mane, the blue of the water, and its border with the leaves and branches on the left. The rest of the pieces can follow.

Puzzle: Fairy Raindrops

Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 27.94cm x 38.1cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Great for kids with its vibrant colours and clear colour borders. My son loved assembling it with me. The rainbow background is the easiest place to start, followed by the exposed skin, face, hair and flowers, mushrooms on the right, daisies, and shiny raindrops at the bottom. The dress, long-stemmed plants, and pale pink flowers in the top left can come next. The rest of the pieces can follow to complete the puzzle.

Puzzle: Space Station 2 by Ciro Marchetti

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.1 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2013, No. 50572ADN, A 23123 LP
Artist: Ciro Marchetti
Original: Space Station

Puzzle: Lovely vibrant puzzle – a pleasure to do. Easy due to multiple cues – bright colours with distinct borders, multiple distinct colour regions, zodiac signs in a circle, different textures of wood and metal, bright red flags. The pieces are large. I would suggest starting from the flags since they are very distinct. The other good regions are the galaxy in the top left, the planet in the top right, the yellow of the sunlight in the bottom left, and the green and blue landscape in the bottom right. The metal parts of the capsules and the wood of the core of the station can come next, followed by the zodiac sign circle. The rest of the puzzle pieces should be trivial. Great puzzle for relaxation, goes wonderfully with a fantasy audiobook.

Puzzle: Shangri-La Winter by Ciro Marchetti

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: LPF Ltd., Holographic puzzle
Artist: Ciro Marchetti has had a successful graphic design career that has spanned working in Europe, South America and the US. He is a five-time recipient of the distinguished Photoshop GURU award, and three time winner of the Worldwide Photoshop Competition presented by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. The current content and style of recent illustrations directly reflect his sources of interest and inspiration, allowing him to create richly detailed images that conjure up retro- tech worlds of fantasy and imagination. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: I have found this puzzle on the Bits and Pieces site. It is by Ciro Marchetti, from the same series as City of Wands, Above the Clouds, and City of Coins.

Not a trivial puzzle, yet such a beautiful fantasy scene – a pleasure to assemble. I have started with the purple sails in the top left, the foxes and the owl, the red berries, the green polar bear, and the larger fish. The gazebo with the figure in a blue cape, the yellow area of the background, the rest of the ship, the swans, the submarine vessel, the castle, and the tree limbs came next. The mountains, water, small fish, and evergreens completed the picture.

Puzzle: Enchanted Encounter

Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 27.94cm x 38.1cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: This puzzle was one of my son’s favourite, as it had a fairy, a wizard, a dragon, a horse, and a castle all in one. We assembled it together. Good places to start are the wizard’s robe, the blue of the sky, the castle, the sky border with the hills, and the sunset-lit sky. This can be followed by the fairy, the dragon, the path from the castle to the bottom of the picture, and the tree trunk. From that point on, there are lots of green pieces, but the ones for the tree leaves, the moss, and the grassy hill by the castle are sufficiently different to make the assembly easy.

Puzzle: Spring Bouquet

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 30.02 cm x 48.26 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vibrant series, 2013, No. 51410AAN, A 17063 LP
Photographer: Val Thoermer
Original: photo

Puzzle: Lovely bouquet – beautiful zen puzzle. With well-fitting Sure-Lox pieces, small size and vibrant colours, it is not difficult. Good places to start are the white and the pink roses, dark purple hyacinth and bright green buds. The violet flowers at the bottom and top left quarter can come next, followed by the white flowers out of focus and the darker green leaves.

Puzzle: City of Coins by Ciro Marchetti

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: LPF Ltd., Holographic puzzle, #3921
Artist: Ciro Marchetti has had a successful graphic design career that has spanned working in Europe, South America and the US. He is a five-time recipient of the distinguished Photoshop GURU award, and three time winner of the Worldwide Photoshop Competition presented by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. The current content and style of recent illustrations directly reflect his sources of interest and inspiration, allowing him to create richly detailed images that conjure up retro- tech worlds of fantasy and imagination. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: After looking everywhere for over 2 years, I have finally located this beautiful puzzle on the Bits and Pieces site. It is by Ciro Marchetti, from the same series as City of Wands, Above the Clouds, and Shangri-La Winter.

Reminiscent of Elvish tree-cities, this puzzle is stunning. Not trivial to put together due to the shimmering pieces, large tree foliage area, and similarity of the city pillars, but its assembly makes for a serene experience, resulting in a beautiful picture. It is now decorating the wall in my studio.

For an assembly order, I would suggest the red mushroom caps and the deer, followed by the owl and the purple and red flowers and berries at the bottom. The green roofs of the city can come next, followed by the mountain border with the sky. From here, it takes a while to assemble the city buildings, followed by the trees, and sky. I just put on a good audiobook and lost myself in pattern matching for a while. I absolutely love Ciro Marchetti’s city concepts.

Puzzle: Dark Angel

Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 27.94cm x 38.1cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Lovely puzzle, easy to do due to its small size and large differently-shaped pieces. Good places to start are the wings, the exposed skin, the red belt and skirt trim, and the purple dress. The stairs are easy to do and make for horizontal guides. The greenish light above and behind the figure can come next, finishing with the pillars on the left and right. My almost four-year old was helping me assemble it and found it fun.

Puzzle: Sunlit Sanctuary

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.56cm x 45.72cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Generally not my type of puzzle to do, as I’m more into architecture, landscapes, and fantasy, but it came in a pack of 10 puzzles from which I liked a few. It was a little big for my son, so I’ve put it together myself. Quite easy to do. Good places to start are the white and green area of sunlight at the top, black backs of the dolphins, colourful corals at the bottom. Black top corner regions, dolphin tails and bellies, smaller fish, and then the water complete the picture. Rays of sunlight penetrating the water provide slight diagonal guides that help complete the blue water areas.

Puzzle: Fairy Key by Nadia Strelkina

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: Lafayette Puzzle Factory, Goldenline Fairies series, APL33650LK0812, #0213
Artist: Nadia Strelkina
Painting: photo
Box: photo
Puzzle: From the same series as Prisoner, this is a lovely colourful puzzle – a pleasure to do. The best places to start are the skin (face, neck, and hands), the moon, orange and yellow regions (tiger, light, window and gates), brown carriage near the moon and white carriage with a pegasus in the middle right, red dress and cape, castle roof and sky boundary, and the carriage in the bottom left. The darker colours at the bottom, the blue hues of the castle, the swirling mist, and darker blue and black of the top corners can come next. The colourful pieces of dress, trees, and remaining regions can then complete the picture. This puzzle has larger pieces and golden highlights.

Puzzle: Sacred Circle by Steve Read

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.56cm x 45.72cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Artist: Steve Read
Illustration: original
Puzzle: A quick easy puzzle for an afternoon. Some good areas to start are the border between yellow floor and dark puzzle bottom, bright white light, lights from the staff and the candles, yellow circle of the floor, striped green radial pattern behind the wizard, the wizard’s face and beard, fuschia cloak lining, dragon’s wings, and boy’s arms. The candle holders make for good vertical guides, and so does the engraved pillar on the left side. Wizard’s and boy’s clothing, the throne, and the wall can then complete the assembly.

Puzzle: Dragon of the Lake

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.56cm x 45.72cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Artist: Jan Patrik Krasny – Jan Patrik Krasny was born on 8. may 1955. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1976-1982). Since his childhood he has been attracted by comics, which he has published after 1989 in several magazines and newspapers. The core of his work are illustrations. He has created more than 400 cover-pages of mainly sci-fi & fantasy books for various Czech publishers. Recently he has been devoted to computer graphics. [Artist’s site]
Painting: original

Puzzle: Beautiful fantasy piece, making for a great puzzle. Best places to start are the lilac region of the sky at the top center, yellows and oranges of the mountains and sunlight, dark blue of the water in the bottom corners and the smaller dragon. For the larger dragon, a good sequence would be the head, the parts of the body bordering on yellow and orange, since they create an obvious contrast, followed by the rest of the body.

Notes: Illustration for Chris Meiklejohn’s Labyrinth Of Fire from the cycle Dragon Chronicles.

Puzzle: Zodiac

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.56cm x 45.72cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, 10-puzzle pack, 2013, No. 103013-21081-A
Puzzle: Lovely colourful puzzle, a pleasure to do. Multiple distinct coloured areas, circular shape in the middle, frame outline, softer colours for the middle, and logical organization of the zodiac signs give many cues, making this puzzle trivial to assemble. I have started with the ornate frame and corners, the centerpiece, and the sun shapes at top and bottom center. Since most of the animals and figures have quite distinct colours, in combination with the coloured labels on the wheel, they were the next logical step, leaving very few pieces to finish up the puzzle.

Notes: In both astrology and historical astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude that are centered upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Historically, these twelve divisions are called signs. Essentially, the zodiac is a celestial coordinate system, or more specifically an ecliptic coordinate system, which takes the ecliptic as the origin of latitude, and the position of the sun at vernal equinox as the origin of longitude.

The term zodiac derives from Latin zōdiacus, which in its turn comes from the Greek, meaning “circle of animals”. The name is motivated by the fact that half of the signs of the classical Greek zodiac are represented as animals (besides two mythological hybrids). [Wiki]

Category: Puzzles