puzzle Archives – Page 11 of 29

Posts tagged "puzzle" (Page 11)

Puzzle: Christmas Tree Worms

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Jewels of the Sea series, 2009, 40675-4

Puzzle: This puzzle is not trivial to do, as even though there are distinct colours, they are scattered in many small regions. Very enjoyable nonetheless, with SureLox pieces fitting together unmistakably. Easiest place to start, I found, is the bottom green/turquoise/olive patch at the bottom with the adjacent white patches. The darker background in the top right corner is also relatively simple to complete. For the rest of the puzzle, it does not really make a difference which spirals to work on – they all slowly come together to complete the picture.

Notes: Spirobranchus giganteus, commonly known as Christmas tree worms, are tube-building polychaete worms belonging to the family Serpulidae. The worm is aptly named; both its common and Latin names refer to the two chromatically hued spiral structures, the most common feature seen by divers. Actually, the multicolored spirals are merely the worm’s highly derived respiratory structures.

The worms’ most distinct features are two “crowns” shaped like Christmas trees. These are highly modified prostomial palps, which are specialized mouth appendages. Each spiral is composed of feather-like tentacles called radioles, which are heavily ciliated and cause any prey trapped in them to be transported to the worm’s mouth. While they are primarily feeding structures, S. giganteus also uses its radioles for respiration; hence, the structures commonly are called “gills.” [Wiki]

Puzzle: Reverie, 1897 by Alphonse Marie Mucha

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 50.65 cm x 67.94 cm
Artist: Alphonse Marie Mucha
Painting: F. Champenois Imprimeur-Éditeur
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vintage series, 2011, No. 50620ABJ

Puzzle: Just like another puzzle from the same series by Alphonse Mucha, this puzzle is not a quick one to do, but very pleasant in lingering on the intricate details of the ornaments. Good places to start are the face, hair, décolletage, the top detail of the dress, the book outline, and the pattern going down the middle of the dress. The black and white curves, the orange and pink flowers, and the rest of the large background ornament can follow. The hand and the white of the sleeves, as well as the red and white of the book can come next. The rest of the dress is more challenging due to non-contrasting variations of colour.

Notes: The printing business here advertised, F. Champenois, was also used by Mucha for some of his prints for other clients. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Poster advertising trains to Monte Carlo, Monaco, 1897 by Alphonse Marie Mucha

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 50.65 cm x 67.94 cm
Artist: Alphonse Marie Mucha (1860-1939) – Alfons Maria Mucha, often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs. [Wiki]
Painting: http://goodolarthistory.tumblr.com/post/47541678838/artist-alphonse-maria-mucha-title-monaco-monte
Producer: Mega Puzzles, Vintage series, 2011, No. 50620ABJ

Puzzle: A puzzle to savor: not completely trivial but quite enjoyable. The easy places to start are the letters at the bottom, the blue behind the figure, the face and hands, the hair and dress embellishments. From there on, the distinct ornaments – black veined one, the bottom left one, and the large circle with small flowers behind the figure are logical places. The dress and the red background on top are more obvious after that, followed by the rest of the background somewhat simplified by existence of the gradient. Not a quick puzzle to do, and good lighting is an asset.

Notes: Chemin de fer is the French term for railway [Wiki].

Puzzle: Victorian Home by Dominic Davison

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Country Manors series, 2011, 44612-4

Puzzle: A serene puzzle, with all its trees and flowers in bloom, and invitingly lit manor windows. Good places to start are the manor itself, the roads, fence and bench, grass, and the tree trunk on the right. Flower patch, pieces of sky, and tree leaves and branches can come next – since the tree leaves on the four trees are of different colours, this part is not difficult.

Notes: Victorian architecture is architectural style during the middle and late 19th century. The name “Victorian” refers to the reign of Queen Victoria, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed “Victorian” architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria’s reign. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles mixed with the introduction of middle east and Asian influences. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. [Wiki]

Puzzle: The Grey Wizard by Myles Pinkney

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 48.56 cm x 73 cm
Artist: Myles Pinkney
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Glow in the Dark series, 2007, 81600-6

Puzzle: This puzzle requires good lighting – the shades of the Wizard’s robe are subtle. Blue window, hair, face, hand, beard, smoke, pipe, curtains, and blue patch on the floor are all good places to start. The remaining pieces can be split into reddish (for the cape), lighter brown for the robe on one side, black in shadows, and darker brown on the other side. With Sure-Lox pieces fitting together well, it’s a pleasure to do.

Notes: The original of this picture is actually called Gandalf at Back End, and has more detail around the wizard. I wish the puzzle makers incorporated the entire painting.

Puzzle: Breman, Germany

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 27.3 cm x 45.7 cm
Producer: RoseArt, Encore series, 1999, 06052

Puzzle: Small and very pleasant puzzle to do – the windmill, the brick building, and the gradient in the sky makes those parts not difficult to complete, and the snowy tree limbs pieces fall into place following that.

Notes: The puzzle box actually says “Breman, Germany” – I assume they meant “Bremen, Germany”.

Puzzle: The Untold Story by Josephine Wall

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Artist: Josephine Wall
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Keepsakes series, 2011, 42220-7

Puzzle: Trivial puzzle and a pleasure to do. Several sections are equally easy to use as anchoring points: skin, the large pink flower, the iguana, the hair net, flowing fabric, the ship, and the flamingos. The rest of the puzzle falls into place in greens, blues, and purples.

Notes: “As the planet evolves, humankind increasingly leaves the cities to seek peace and consolation in the country. There nature awaits with all her gentleness and beauty to welcome humanity into a more fulfilling way of life.” [Josephine Wall site]

Puzzle: 4D – Historical Map of Paris

The bottom layer jigsaw is a historic illustration of Paris in 1736 (base puzzle):

The second layer jigsaw puzzle is of Paris in the present year (landscape puzzle):

The third layer are buildings (3D replicas):

See below for the notes and additional images.

Size: 1100+ pieces – Layer 1: 656 pieces, Layer 2: 369 pieces, Layer 3: 88 pieces
Dimensions: 60.9 cm x 38.1 cm x 0.51 cm
Producer: 4D Cityscape, Time Puzzle series

Notes: 4D Cityscape allows you to build Paris starting from the year 1345. You first build the patented floor puzzle that consists of 1025 jigsaw pieces. Then you refer to the 4D Time Poster to identify and place each skyscraper on the map. This process is assembled in a time sequence according to the year each building was built. Experience and rebuild the past, present, and future! For ages 8+ to 108 years. [Puzzle box]

Place each building on the map starting in 1345 with Notre Dame.
Place Arc de Triomphe on the map in the year 1836.
Rebuild Paris’s historical skyline including La Tour Eiffel in 1889.
Learn the location, shape, and appearance of the Paris skyline. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle:

The first layer of the puzzle was fun to do – the river provides a good horizontal guide, large writing and the wind rose follow, and the rest of the islands, building blocks, and streets fall into place. The puzzle is well-cut and pieces generally fit together well.

The second layer of the puzzle was a bit more cumbersome, just because of the foam pieces that sometimes don’t fit together that well if they are bent. The dark placeholders with red numbers indicate where the building figures are to be placed at the next stage. This part was overall easy to do. The islands make their own smaller piece clusters.

The building figures were quite disappointing. First of all, the detail they are portrayed on the poster below does not exist in the pieces themselves. They are quite roughly made from plastic of silver or gold colour, and barely resemble their counterparts on the poster. Matching them was hard to do.

Presumably, to help with the matching, each figure had a number engraved on its bottom that corresponded to the number on the map and on the poster. But here comes the second problem: most of the pieces had numbers so tiny (see a closeup photo below) that they were very hard to distinguish, even with a magnifying glass.

Third issue came from the nature of interaction of the foam top layer and the plastic pieces. Especially in the areas where many buildings are clustered together, such as the corner of the map pictured below, or where two coasts are connected by multiple bridges close to each other, you can see the foam warping around the plastic pieces that fit into the map. This made the end puzzle a bit wobbly and not as aesthetically pleasing as the packaging would make you believe.

Generally, I have enjoyed making the puzzle layers and then building up the Paris model in the chronological order indicated on the poster. Some pieces do look nice close up, and it was fun to explore the evolution of the city.

Puzzle: Public Garden

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Glorious Gardens series, 2011, #40660-6

Puzzle: The gazebo, flowerbed, and grey walkways are a good place to start. Tree trunk on the right can serve as a vertical guideline. The blue of the sky, smaller garden details, and the green of the lawns can follow. From there, the remaining black parts can pave the way to the green tree leaves. Overall a pleasant puzzle, although my copy was strangely cut and unlike the usual Sure-Lox fit, the pieces did not stick together very well.

Notes: A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. Western gardens are almost universally based on plants, with garden often signifying a shortened form of botanical garden.

Some traditional types of eastern gardens, such as Zen gardens, use plants such as parsley. Xeriscape gardens use local native plants that do not require irrigation or extensive use of other resources while still providing the benefits of a garden environment. Gardens may exhibit structural enhancements, sometimes called follies, including water features such as fountains, ponds (with or without fish), waterfalls or creeks, dry creek beds, statuary, arbors, trellises and more. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Apple Picking by Betty Wittwe

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Artist: Betty Wittwe – Born in Metz, France in 1959, Wittwe graduated from the School of Beaux Arts and majored in Plastic Arts in 1979. Her strong inclination for performing art has influenced her first canvases featuring musical and dance performances, circus …

Although Wittwe is still adept at painting musicians scenes and ballerinas, she also developed great skills for subjects such as landscapes, garden views, interior scenes,… Inspired by the peaceful atmosphere of her farmhouse in Provence, she uses spontaneous brushwork. Light is provided by the choice of her bright and vivid colors.

She masters her technique and focuses her effects on expressing emotions. Her vivid colors and strong brush work give life and vitality to her paintings. She gives us the possibility to dream and to escape. Recipient of best of show place awards in Paris French Fine Art Exhibition, her reputation crossed the Atlantic in 1997 when she started to exhibit at a major Madison Avenue gallery in New York and Beverly Hills. [Pejman Gallery site]

Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Celebration of Women series, 2009, #40888PAL

Notes: This series celebrates all women with bright colorful images of days gone by, sweet memories and priceless friendships. Our featured artists capture great moments of women – mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. It celebrates the qualities they possess – their graces, inner strength, love, forgiveness, endurance and constant perseverance. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: The bright colours of women’s dresses and the dark of the tree trunks are logical regions to begin assembly. After that, the sky, the building near horizon, and the apple box are distinct areas. The rest of the puzzle consists of a blend of green, blue, and yellow colours, presenting a bit more of a challenge.

Puzzle: St. John’s, Newfoundland

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 48 cm x 73 cm
Producer: Canada Games, 1993, #40605-10

Notes: This puzzle takes a bit of time, since there are almost no large solid regions, the boats, and the mountain-sky area being the exceptions. From that point on, the large beige-red building is probably the next logical step. Dark red and blue areas stand out the most, as well as orange diamonds, the cathedral, and dark tree areas. Good lighting is a bonus with this one.

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: St. John’s is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. Its name has been attributed to the feast day of John the Baptist, when John Cabot was believed to have sailed into the harbour in 1497, and also to a Basque fishing town with the same name. The architecture of St. John’s has a distinct style from that of the rest of Canada, and its major buildings are remnants of its history as one of the first British colonial capitals. Buildings took a variety of styles according to the means available to build the structures.

St. John’s was the starting point for the first non-stop transatlantic aircraft flight, by Alcock and Brown in a modified Vickers Vimy IV bomber, in June 1919, departing from Lester’s Field in St. John’s and ending in a bog near Clifden, Connemara, Ireland. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Wine Cellar Château Cantenac-Brown, France

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 61 cm
Producer: The Lafayette Puzzle Factory, Colorluxe, 2012, #3091

Notes: This puzzle is a pleasure to do – the most complicated area is the flowers, but having placed everything else, that only leaves about 2-3 rows of pieces. I have started with the sky and the building top, followed by the pillars, the trees, grass, gate and the ground in front of it, the building, and finished with the flowers. Sat down to puzzle for half an hour, got up about 2 hours later with the puzzle completed. This is a relaxing one.

Château Cantenac-Brown: Château Cantenac-Brown is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The Chateau has 104 acres (0.42 km2) planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Chateau produces a second wine labeled as Brio de Cantenac-Brown. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Sonata by Firelight, by Judy Gibson

Size: 550 pieces, 3 missing, see another copy acquired in 2016 with all pieces present
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: White Dove by Kim Wiggins

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, 2009, #44888PAL
Artist: Kim Wiggins – Growing up in Southern New Mexico, Kim Wiggins began his art career sculpting miniatures of the wildlife around him. In 1989, Wiggins deliberately leapt from an impressionist style to the dynamic, dramatic expressionist style for which he is known today, populating his canvases with ribbons of color, bulbous clouds, anthropomorphic mountains, sinewy trees and distorted houses. [Puzzle box]

Painting: http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/details/default.asp?p=2455&a=264&t=4&page=1&detailtype=artist

Notes: The Mission San Xavier del Bac, built circa 1783 south of Tucson, Arizona, is affectionately called “The White Dove of the Desert.” This most famous of the missions founded by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino still ministers to the Papago Indians. Wiggins says, “I tried to capture the spirit of the mission by representing Father Kino passing a dove to a Papago Indian boy. The dove represents the peaceful nature of this tribe. Storm clouds swirl above as a reminder of the struggles these gentle people faced. Not only did they battle nature, but the mission became their only refuge against the constant attacks by the fierce Apache Indians. The mission, home to statues draped in real clothing and brightly painted carvings, is open to the public every day as well as those on pilgrimage.” [Greenwich Workshop site]

Puzzle: Portofino Coast by James Coleman

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Artist: James Coleman
Painting: http://www.progressiveart.com/coleman/coleman_portofino_coast.shtml

Notes: Portofino is an Italian fishing village, and upmarket resort famous for its picturesque harbour and historical association with celebrity visitors. It is a comune located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast. According to Pliny the Elder, Portofino was founded by the Romans and named Portus Delphini, or Port of the Dolphin, because of the large number of dolphins that inhabited the Tigullian Gulf. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Afternoon Serenity by James Coleman

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Artist: James Coleman
Painting: http://www.progressiveart.com/coleman/coleman_afternoon_serenity.shtml

Serenity: the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness. [Definition]

Puzzle: Molly Malone, Dublin

Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 60.5 cm x 46 cm

Notes: I brought this puzzle with me from Ireland in 2008. 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.

Molly Malone: “Molly Malone” (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” or “In Dublin’s Fair City”) is a popular song, set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City. The Molly Malone statue in Grafton Street was unveiled by then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Ben Briscoe during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations, declaring 13 June as Molly Malone Day.

In Dublin’s fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
“Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh”,
Crying “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh”.

She was a fishmonger,
But sure ’twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
(chorus)

She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
(chorus)

[Wiki]

Puzzle: House of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 43.5cm x 27cm

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.

Canadian Parliament: The Parliament of Canada (French: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and organization. The governor general summons and appoints each of the 105 members of the upper house on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada, while the 308 members of the lower house are directly elected by eligible voters in the Canadian populace, with each Member of Parliament representing a single electoral district, commonly referred to as a riding.

By constitutional convention, the House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament, the Senate and Crown rarely opposing its will. The Senate thus reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint, and the monarch and viceroy provide the necessary Royal Assent to make bills into law and summon, prorogue, and dissolve parliament in order to call an election, as well as reading the Throne Speech. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Steam Engine

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, All Aboard series, 2012, #40562-2
Artist: Ron Niebrugge

Puzzle: I found it easiest to start from the water and the clear line between the water and the rocks to define a horizontal guide. From that point on, the railroad, the black locomotive, the carriages, and various green and rocky regions are equally logical to do, since not many of them provide an easily-delineated coloured region. This puzzle benefits from good lighting.

Steam Engine: A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.

Using boiling water to produce mechanical motion goes back about 2,000 years, but early devices were not practical. Since the late 1700s steam engines have become a major source of mechanical power. The first applications were removing water from mines. In 1781 Watt patented a steam engines that produced continuous rotative motion. Steam engines could also be applied to vehicles such as traction engines and the railway locomotives which are commonly just called steam engines ouside America. The stationary steam engine was an important component of the Industrial Revolution, overcoming the limitations imposed by shortage of sites suitable for water mill and allowing factories to locate where water power was unavailable. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Steam Locomotive

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, All Aboard series, 2012, #40562-3
Artist: Barrie Neil

Puzzle: The blue of the sky and the mountains are an easy starting point, followed by the black-and-red locomotive, the SW sign, and the repetitive-window carriages of the train, and the bottom branching of the rails with white regions. Green and beige slopes on the left are logical stand-alone regions, and the rest of the mountain, grassy right-bottom corner, and rails and wheels can be filled out afterwards. Overall a pleasant puzzle not requiring much effort.

Locomotive: A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine. Both fuel and water supplies are carried with the locomotive, either on the locomotive itself or in wagons pulled behind.

Steam locomotives were first developed in Britain and dominated railway transportation until the middle of the 20th century. From the early 1900s they were gradually superseded by electric and diesel locomotives. [Wiki]

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