Size: 1000 pieces (?)
Dimensions: 69 cm x 69 cm
Producer: Unknown
Notes: I no longer have the box for this puzzle. Any information about the artist or the puzzle itself would be much welcome.
Puzzle: Church of the Savior, St. Petersburg
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.1 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Structures series, 2013, No. 50941AAN, A 27053 PP
Puzzle: Another eye-candy puzzle from the Structures series (see Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic and Galleries Lafayette, Paris for more), with many distinct regions. There are many ways of approaching it: top semi-circle with windows, bottom light yellow semi-circle, central piece in reds, oranges, and yellows, winged by distinct blue regions, the chandeliers, the top corner regions separating distinct regions of colour by diagonal guides, flower border outlining the central area, the pillars with figures and horizontal flower borders, circles with faces. Once the distinct regions are done, they can be put together, and the rest of the pieces easily fit in. Beautiful puzzle, very enjoyable to do.
Notes: The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. It is also variously called the Church on Spilt Blood and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, its official name. This Church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory.
The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics—according to its restorers. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day—including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church’s chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Galleries Lafayette, Paris
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67.95 cm x 48.1 cm
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Structures series, 2013, No. 50941AAN, A 27053 PP
Puzzle: A non-trivial puzzle from the Structures series (see Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic and Church of the Savior, St. Petersburg for more), with a repeating radial pattern. Due to many similar regions and repeated geometrical patterns, this puzzle is challenging. The easiest place to start is the top left corner with the distinct orange, green and blue part of the dome, followed by its golden border and brown and golden thick supports that fan out of the dome, with flower patterns inside. Several white supports spreading from the dome can be used as guides. The yellow centres of the large flowers within the stained glass pattern can be positioned based on their differences, and the blue and green flowers can be assembled in place. The circular brown guides supporting the white and blue glass make it easier to complete the bottom right corner. Overall not a quick but an enjoyable puzzle to do, natural light is a plus.
Notes: The Galeries Lafayette (is an upmarket French department store company located on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. In 1895, Théophile Bader and his cousin Alphonse Kahn opened a fashion store in a small haberdasher’s shop at the corner of rue La Fayette and the Chaussée d’Antin, in Paris. In 1896, their company purchased the entire building at 1 rue La Fayette; in 1905 they acquired the buildings at 38, 40 and 42, boulevard Haussmann and 15 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin. Bader commissioned the architect Georges Chedanne and his pupil Ferdinand Chanut to design the store at the Haussmann location, where a glass and steel dome and Art Nouveau staircases were finished in 1912. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Birds of the Season, 3 of 4, by Greg Giordano
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 40.64cm x 50.8cm
Producer: Karmin International, Birds of the Season series
Artist: Greg Giordano
Puzzle: One of the 4 puzzles in the box (first, second, third, fourth). As the others, it’s pleasant to make with the bright flowers and green leaves. The uniform areas of the fence and the watering can, the smaller leaves and sky, the white narcissus flowers and the bird’s bright red and black plumage are good places to start. Tulips and blue and lavender flowers stand out as well. Those could be followed by the darker regions, the green leaves, and the yellow narcissus flowers, leaving the rest easy to complete.
Puzzle: Birds of the Season, 2 of 4, by Greg Giordano
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 40.64cm x 50.8cm
Producer: Karmin International, Birds of the Season series
Artist: Greg Giordano
Puzzle: One of the 4 puzzles in the box (first, second, third, fourth). Easy to start assembly from the wheel, the birds, and the top background. The flowers are a little more tricky, but the bottom dark part can be filled in first, followed by the yellow centres of the daisies, the washed out green at the bottom centre, yellow patch of colour at the bottom of the wheel, and the rest should fall into place after that.
Puzzle: Birds of the Season, 1 of 4, by Greg Giordano
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 40.64cm x 50.8cm
Producer: Karmin International, Birds of the Season series
Artist: Greg Giordano
Puzzle: One of the 4 puzzles in the box (first, second, third, fourth). The bright red bird is the logical start of the this puzzle. The rest of it looks relatively uniform, so assembling darker areas, the large white leaves and the flower centres is one way to approach this puzzle, filling in the leaves and the branches afterwards.
Puzzle: Trinity Church
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Puzzle: This puzzle is not very exciting to do due to dull grays of the building and the dark greens of the bushes and trees occupying the most of the picture, but Sure-Lox pieces fit together well and the size is small enough to not present a challenge. I just wish the photograph had more colour and contrast in it to really highlight the beauty of the old architecture. The sequence of assembly could start with the sky and its boundary with the roof and the trees, and with the grass and its boundary with the flowers. The border between the building and the bushes provides a good horizontal guide, and the tall windows can serve as vertical guides. From that point on, the picture is trivial to assemble.
Notes: I no longer have the puzzle box, so I’m unsure where this church is situated (there are plenty of Trinity churches around the world, it seems). If you have any information on the location of this building, I’d love to know.
Puzzle: Golden Hall, Edoras, 3D
Size: 742 pieces (foam-backed), 29 cardboard accessories
Dimensions: 42 cm x 49.5 cm x 22 cm
Producer: Wrebbit 3D, Lord of the Rings series, 2012, #02003, made in Canada
Instructions:
- Remove and sets aside red dotted pieces (they are not a part of the actual puzzle).
- Assemble puzzle sections flat as you would a 2D puzzle.
- Once all sections are assembled, build the 3D puzzle using the supports provided and embellish with decorative pieces.
Puzzle: I have made this puzzle a few months ago, but did not get around to documenting it until now. It carries sentimental significance to me because I love all things Tolkien, and the designs are tugging at my heart strings, but the implementation could be better. Foam is not the greatest material to hold up a 3D puzzle, as I have previously found out with a Taj Mahal puzzle made by Wrebbit (not to be confused with the CubicFun one made of paper), and after discovering the CubicFun puzzles earlier this autumn I don’t think I would assemble another foam 3D one, unless the subject was as attractive to me as the Golden Hall of Edoras.
Below are the progress photos of the assembly – the process itself was not easy since foam does not hold together that well, so the intermediary stages of the structures being attached to each other have no photos to them: I had enough trouble keeping them holding together.
Here is the base surrounding the hall:
And here is the overview of all the rest of the assembled components, followed by close-ups:
The assembled hall looks good from far away, but pieces do not fit together very well, making for a choppy composition and crooked angles. Additionally, some of the embellishment pieces on the roof are printed only on one side which I find a disappointing approach: cutting corners on such little details makes the entire building look unfinished.
Notes: The city of Edoras was built on a hill in a valley of the White Mountains (Ered Nimrais) by Rohan’s second King, Brego son of Eorl the Young. Before this, Rohan’s capital was at Aldburg in the Folde.
As Rohan consisted of mostly small villages and farmsteads, Edoras was Rohan’s only real city, and holds the Golden Hall of Meduseld. It was here that Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Gandalf meet with King Théoden. They were admitted by Hama, the door warden who permitted Gandalf to keep his staff with him. [Lord of the Rings wiki]
Puzzle: Greenhouse
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 54.5cm x 70cm
Puzzle: Beautiful hydrangea domes make this puzzle a serene one to do. The easiest place to start are the walls and the roof of the greenhouse, the paths, the evergreen tree, and the lighter blue flowers at the bottom. The fern-like blooms, the yellow regions, and the tulips are distinct to put together as well. The rest of the puzzle can be done in any order. Good lighting is a plus.
Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of this puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.
Puzzle: Autumn Lake by Darrell Bush
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 50.8 cm x 68.58 cm
Producer: Karmin International, The art of Darrell Bush series, 2004
Puzzle: Beatutiful puzzle in vibrant colours with many distinct regions – a pleasure to do. Good starting points are the sunlit sky and water, the birds, the horizon line and the water: since there are many horizontally-separated water colour regions, that part is a breeze. The house, the bright lantern with surrounding grass, the birch tree, the boat and the dock allow the rest of the pieces fall into place.
Artist: Darrell Bush – Awared-winning artist Darrell Bush brilliantly captures the unspoiled, simple beauty of the outdoors. From a North Woods campsite to a polished wooden runabout resting on a quiet lake, Bush’s acrylics suggest that these peaceful settings are only a memory away. He familiarizes the viewer with outdoor and wildlife subjects while often adding a touch of nostalgia.
In 1984,after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in commercial art from Northern Illinois University, Bush moved to Minnesota and worked as a commercial illustrator for five years. “It was during this time I began pursuing a second career, my true love, wildlife art,” he said. In 1987, he won his first major award, the Idaho Uploand Game Stamp Competition. In 1990, he became a full-time artist and one year later signed with Hadley House.
Since then, Bush’s success has escalated dramatically. He received international recognition when he was chosen for the September, 1996 “Wonders of Nature” exhibit in Hong Kong. U.S.ART named him among America’s Most Popular Artists in 1995, 1996 and 1998.
He and his family reside in Moline. [Puzzle box, mistakes omitted]
By the same artist the other puzzles available in the series are: “Crescent Moon Bay”, “The End of a Perfect Day“, “Twilight Calm”.
Puzzle: Gateway Solitude
Size: 500 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 33.9 cm x 45.4 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock foam puzzle series, 2003, 22406
Puzzle: I felt like assembling a foam puzzle which I haven’t done lately. The fit is unique and takes getting used to, but quite pleasant. A good starting point was the walkway, since it provided a vertical guide and split the bottom of the puzzle into three distinct regions. The gate and the brick pillars came afterwards, followed by the flower bunches, the trees, and the sky. Simple and enjoyable puzzle to do.
Notes: IntroducingPerfalock, the first puzzle that goes anywhere without going to pieces! Make it, move it, mount it, and it won’t fall apart. Precisely crafted out of flexible foam, Perfalock pieces fit together so perfectly you can barely see the seams! Its unique backing material means that Perfalock puzzles stay together without messy glue. Perfalock from Wrebbit. We make great puzzles happen. [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 36.0 cm x 49.3 cm
Producer: Ravensburger, Otto Maier Verlag, 1984, #14 138 8
Puzzle: Yet another puzzle of this beautiful castle, in addition to the 500-piece, the 1000-piece, and another 500-piece puzzles I’ve assembled previously. This one features clear photography, good angle, and pieces that fit together well. The easiest places to start are the sky and clouds, the orange part of the castle, the green of the grass, the boundary between the castle and the sky, and the sky and the trees, followed by the rest of the castle. The houses in the background and the trees around the castle can then follow.
Puzzle: Spectacular Interior
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Photographer: Tibor Bognàr
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, 2006, #42510-41
Puzzle: Not an easiest puzzle to make – good lighting is a bonus. Easiest places to start are the blue of the dome, the bright gold of the centre, the figures in the alcoves, the darker parts on the edges, and the golden pillars. Pillars provide good vertical guides, and pillar tops can serve as horizontal ones. The pieces fit together well making for a fun but a bit challenging puzzle to assemble.
Notes: It is unfortunate that no information is given on the box on where this photo was taken. If you know where this is, I would love to know.
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: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12 cm x 66.52 cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles, Hasbro, 2007, 04962-N03
Puzzle: Beautiful serene puzzle to make. Despite its size, the assembly flows smoothly due to distinct separate regions of colour separated by clear borders. The lavender of the sky, the yellow, purple, and black mountains, their clearly separated reflections and the horizontal divide of the water edge are a breeze to put together. The blue of the water, the rock regions, the green grass patches, and the guide made by the log, let the rest of the pieces fall into place.
Notes: Banff National Park is located in the province of Alberta in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. From that humble beginning was born Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park and the world’s third. Spanning 6,641 square kilometres of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world’s premier destination spots. [Banff National Park site]
Puzzle: Wildflowers by Tim Fitzharris
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 63.5 cm x 50.8 cm
Photographer: Tim Fitzharris, designed by Lisa Reid
Producer: Pomegranate Communications, Artpiece Puzzle series, Sierra Club, Catalog No: SC0403, ISBN: 978-0-7649-4095-8
Puzzle: Not a completely trivial puzzle to do as the flower regions contain small similar details across a large part of the puzzle. The cacti are easiest to do as they provide vertical guides for the top of the puzzle, and the purple backdrop can be filled in easily. For the flowers, tackling the top area among the cacti is easiest, followed by the regions of similar colour: yellow flowers and darker patch in the bottom right corner. The rest of the flowers are a matter of patiently filling things in. The pieces are good quality and fit together well.
Notes: “Sierra Club’s Mission:
- To explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth;
- To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources;
- To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment;
- And the use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this puzzle supports Sierra Club’s efforts to preserve and protect the planet [www.sierraclub.org].
Thoughtfully conceived and engagingly intricate, Pomegranate’s 1000-piece interlocking jigsaw puzzles combine superb color reproduction, stunning and unusual images, and sturdy construction to delight generations of puzzle solvers. Among our many artists are Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Maxfield Parrish, John William Waterhouse, Romare Bearden, Jules Chéret, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edward Gorey, Tom Thomson, and Susan Seddon Boulet.” [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Swiss Alps
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group
Notes: Beautiful landscape, very serene to make. Not completely trivial due to large regions of similar colours, but with Sure-Lox pieces fitting well together, still a pleasure to do. Starting with the grass regions is easiest, filling in the houses, and then dealing with the boundary regions between mountains, the ice, and the sky, provides enough guides to fill in the remainder of the pieces.
Puzzle: Flower market at Jaipur
Size: 304 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72 cm x 35.56 cm
Photographer: Schmid Reinhard
Producer: Whitman, Guild, A4425, Series 169,
Puzzle: Simple puzzle which I liked for its subject matter – small number of pieces and enough distinct colour regions to make it easy. Flower bunches and people can make a good start, and the background of the wall can come afterwards.
Notes:
“Subjects in series 169:
- Flower still life
- Portrait of grandfather
- Old town
- Canister and crates
- Pennsylvanian winter
- Autumn village
- California Carson mansion
- Martha’s vineyard
- Flowered fence
- Arizona landscape
- Bamberg, Germany
- Flower market at Jaipur”[Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Love each day
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51 cm x 69 cm
Producer: Empire, Puzzle Makers, #620205
Puzzle: Not a completely trivial puzzle to do due to variation in puzzle piece format and similarities of the coloured regions, but quite enjoyable. The easiest parts to do are the uniform white of the path, the bench, and the fence, the green of the grass, and the blue-white of the sky. The willowy tree is a good region to tackle next, as well as the groups of similarly-coloured flowers. The trees in the background can come last.
Puzzle: Trevi Fountain, Italy
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.3 cm x 35.6 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, #42210-17
Puzzle: This puzzles was a little more challenging than a usual 500-piece puzzle, since so many parts of the building look alike and carry the same colour scheme. However, with Sure-Lox pieces fitting snugly into place, it was very pleasant to do nonetheless. The sky and water are best places to start, as are the dark areas on the edges. The windows, the balconies, the archway, the roof, and the regions close to the water are distinct enough to follow. The rest are a matter of completing the gaps between the earlier-placed pieces. I have done another 500-piece puzzle of a close-up of the Trevi Fountain.
