Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 68cm x 48.1cm
Producer: Mega Brands, Windows of the World series
Artist: Fine photography by John and Debora Scanlan
Notes: County Cork (Irish: Contae Chorcaí) is one of the twenty-six traditional counties of the Republic of Ireland and one of the thirty-two traditional counties in the island of Ireland. The southernmost of the Irish counties, it is located in the province of Munster. It is Ireland’s largest county and is the second most populous county, with a population of 481,295 in 2006. Named after the city of Cork (Irish: Corcaigh), Cork is colloquially known as “The Rebel County”. In recent times, the name has referred to the prominent role Cork played in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) when it was the scene of most of the fighting; in addition, it was an anti-treaty stronghold during the Irish Civil War (1922–23). [Wiki]
Tag: puzzle
Puzzle: Shaped castles
Size: 1000 pieces, multiple pieces missing
Producer: Sure-Lox
Thank you to Renee for providing the size and the producer as I do not have the box for this puzzle anymore.
Notes: Shaped puzzle on black background depicting multiple castles in a single collage, surrounded by a white border.
A castle (from Latin castellum) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified, from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility, and from a fortified town, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Fortress of Dragons by Matt Stawicki
Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 61cm x 46cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, # 2333-34
Artist: Matt Stawicki
Notes: Fortress is a series of fantasy novels by science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh, published by HarperCollins. They are set in a medieval fantasy world with a 15th century feel and feature magic, sorcery, medieval warfare, politics and other elements common to the High Fantasy subgenre. [Wiki]
The fourth book of the series – Fortress of Dragons – was published in 2000. Matt Stawicki did the cover for this book.
Puzzle: Grand Teton Mountain, Wyoming, USA
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: Grand Teton, at 4,199 m, is the high point of the Teton Range, and the second highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The mountain is entirely within the Snake River drainage basin, which it feeds by several local creeks and glaciers.The Teton Range is a minor range of the Rocky Mountains, which extend from southern Alaska to northern New Mexico.
The origin of the current name is controversial. The most common explanation is that “Grand Teton” means “large teat” in French, named by either French-Canadian or Iroquois members of an expedition led by Donald McKenzie of the North West Company. However, other historians disagree, and claim that the mountain was named after the Teton Sioux tribe of Native Americans. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia. The bridge is locally nicknamed “The Coat Hanger” because of its arch-based design.
Under the directions of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by English firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough, and opened in 1932. According to the Guinness World Records, it is the world’s widest long-span bridge. It is also the fifth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, and it is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres from top to water level. [Wiki]
Puzzle: That’s Life! Part I – The Labyrinth by Marino Degano
Size: 2000 pieces
Dimensions: 68cm x 96cm
Producer: Heye
Artist: Marino Degano – The cartoon artist Marino Degano is at home in many cultures. He was born in Italy, grew up in Germany and currently lives in France, and so is well acquainted with the little idiosyncrasies, corners and edges of European citizens, and does not shy away in the slightest from using this as the core of his charming ironic masterpieces. [Southwest Puzzles site]
Notes: This covers all the vices available to people. Envy, greed,vanity, wrath, sloth, gluttony and lust. Degano hasn’t missed much about life and covers some of it in graphic detail. [Southwest Puzzles site]
Puzzle: 1000 Islands
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 80 km downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario. The U.S. islands are in the state of New York. The islands, which number 1,793 in all, range in size from over 100 km2 to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, to even smaller uninhabited outcroppings of rocks that are home to migratory waterfowl. The number of islands was determined using the criteria that any island must be above water level all year round, have an area greater than 1 square foot (930 cm2), and support at least one living tree. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Via dell’Amore by Rod Chase
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Artist: Rod Chase
Video: The Love Story behind Via dell’Amore
Notes: The Cinque Terre towns were extremely isolated until the last century. Villagers rarely married anyone from outside their town. After the blasting of the second train line in the 1920s, a trail was made between the first two towns: Riomaggiore and Manarola. A gunpowder warehouse was built along the way, safely away from the townspeople. (That building is today’s Bar dell’Amore.)
Happy with the trail, the villagers asked that it be improved as a permanent connection between neighbors. But persistent landslides kept the trail closed more often than it was open. After World War II, the trail was reopened, and became established as a lovers’ meeting point for boys and girls from the two towns. (After one extended closure in 1949, the trail was reopened for a Christmas marriage.) A journalist, who noticed all the amorous graffiti along the path, coined the trail’s now-established name, Via dell’Amore: “Pathway of Love.” [Smithsonian.com site]
Puzzle: Middleton Place Garden
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Puzzlers Collection series
Notes: Middleton Place is a plantation in Dorchester County, directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston and about 24 km northwest of Charleston, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Built in several phases throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the plantation was the primary residence of several generations of the Middleton family, many of whom played prominent roles in the colonial and antebellum history of South Carolina. The plantation, now a National Historic Landmark District, currently functions as a museum, and is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States. [Wiki]
Puzzle: The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam
Size: 500 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 61cm x 92cm
Producer: Irwin Toy, Wrebbit, Perfalock series
Box: photo
Notes: Perfalock, 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, the pieces fit together so perfectly you can barely see the seams. Its unique backing material means that the puzzles stay together without requiring messy glue. Now you can create your own unique Lord of the Ringss poster and hang it on your wall as you would a traditional poster. [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Garden Party
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.4cm x 35.5cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: A garden party is a social gathering with food provided, in the open in a park or a garden. Unlike a picnic or barbecue, which are informal, a garden party can be a prestigious event. For example, invitations to parties of the British Sovereign, held at Buckingham Palace Gardens, are a great honour, and are very rare except for those in traditionally invited high offices.
Many games are traditionally played at garden parties. In Champs-Élysées, Paris, there is an annual Garden Party on 14 July on the occasion of Bastille Day. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Sagrada Familia
Size: 141 pieces (101 crescents, 40 border edges)
Dimensions: 43.18cm x 66.04cm
Producer: Imagination Project, Panda Enterprises, Tesselz, Crescent series
Notes: The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (English: Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [Wiki]
Tesselz is a new series of jigsaw puzzles where the SHAPE of the pieces is as important as the image itself! Tesselz have unusual shaped pieces that “tessellate” or tile together every way you turn them, adding a unique twist to jigsaw puzzles.
The brain-teasing twist of Tesselz’s repeating identical shapes will revolutionize the way you’ll think of puzzles. No longer is fitting shapes together enough – you need to take a good look at the lines, colors, and patterns to get the right pieces in place! The curious nooks and details of this wondrous architectural master-piece ensure a fun and thrilling challenge. [Puzzle box]
Crescent Series Notes: The emphasis on structure within the puzzle’s design ties perfectly to the thematic link of this series: Designs in Architecture. Take our selected image here as one example and then begin to see on your own how the elements of geometry, symmetry, and asymmetry have been utilized throughout history in the buildings and structures erected by man, to form monuments of enduring and inspiring beauty.
The designer, Dr. Haresh Lalvani, based in the field of architecture is a leading researcher in morphology. He is known for his use of higher dimensions as a means of visualizing new geometries for architecture and mapping transforming structures. He is a tenured professor at the School of Architecture at the Pratt Institute, where he has been teaching since 1970. Today, he continues his exploration of advanced geometry at the Pratt Institute and as an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St.John the Divine in New York. [Puzzle box]
Sagrada Facts – Did you know??
- The Sagrada Familia is one of the longest running construction projects under way in the world today.
- In the Middle Ages, cathedrals routinely took centuries to build.
- The tower representing Christ, which has not been built yet, is shown in some drawings to be nearly twice the height of the existing towers.
- Construction is being aided today by computer-guided saws that can chisel granite in one-sixth of the time it takes by hand.
[Puzzle box]
Puzzle: Rock Formations
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: Sedimentary rock is a type of rock that is formed by sedimentation of material at the Earth’s surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles (detritus) to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution. Particles that form a sedimentary rock by accumulating are called sediment. Before being deposited, sediment was formed by weathering and erosion in a source area, and then transported to the place of deposition by water, wind, mass movement or glaciers which are called agents of denudation.
The sedimentary rock cover of the continents of the Earth’s crust is extensive, but the total contribution of sedimentary rocks is estimated to be only 5% of the total volume of the crust. Sedimentary rocks are only a thin veneer over a crust consisting mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Mount Rainier, Washington State, USA
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: MB Puzzles, Big Ben
Notes: Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in Washington state. It was one of the US’s earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains 950 km2 including all of Mount Rainier, a 4,392 m stratovolcano. The highest point in the Cascade Range, around it are valleys, waterfalls, subalpine wildflower meadows, old growth forest and more than 26 glaciers. The volcano is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow on the peak every year. [Wiki]
Puzzle: At the top, Havasu Falls
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: The falls were called “Bridal Veil Falls” before the flood of 1910 because they fell from the entire width of the now dry travertine cliffs north and south of the present falls.
The falls are known for their natural pools, created by mineralization, although most of these pools were damaged and/or destroyed in the early 1990s by large floods that washed through the area. A small man-made dam was constructed to help restore the pools and to preserve what is left. It is possible to swim behind the falls and enter a small rock shelter behind it. [Wiki]
Puzzle: The Falls of Havasu
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: Havasu Falls is a waterfall in the Grand Canyon. It is accessed from a trail on the right side (left side when heading upstream) of the main trail. The side trail leads across a small plateau and drops into the main pool. Havasu is arguably the most famous and most visited of all the falls, and is considered one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world. The falls consist of one main chute that drops over a 120-foot (37 m) vertical cliff (due to the high mineral content of the water, the falls are ever-changing and sometimes break into two separate chutes of water) into a large pool. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Places of Interest – United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
Size: 100 pieces
Dimensions: 38.2cm x 61cm
Producer: Early Learning Centre
Notes: 100 piece board jigsaw with outline guide featuring the United Kingdoms. [Puzzle box]
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It spans an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border with another sovereign state, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state. It is a country consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. [Wiki]
Ireland, described as the Republic of Ireland, is a state in Western Europe. It encompasses approximately five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned into two jurisdictions in 1921. The country is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea to the east, St George’s Channel to the southeast, and the Celtic Sea to the south. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Lost in a Jigsaw II – Survival of the Fittest
Size: 515 pieces
Dimensions: 47cm x 44cm
Artist: Kristin D. Fundalinski
Producer: Buffalo Games
Instructions: PDF from the manufacturer
Notes: Danger at every turn! Danger and beauty strike an uneasy truce in Lost in a Jigsaw II = Survival of the Fittest. One wrong move can unleash the predator, upset a delicate balance. One wrong turn and you could become the prey. Created by a devious unknown keeper, your safari adventure will take you through fabulous habitat, a tour of beasts both friendly and fierce and an intricate maze with only one way through. Your wits are your only weapons and logic is your only guide through this primal jigsaw puzzle labyrinth.
Your maze consists of a 515 piece diagonally cut jigsaw puzzle, with more than 60 separate scenes, some combining to form individual habitats, and others comprising the one and only route to completion. Lost in a Jigsaw II is o unique that its inner workings are patented. Patent 5,351,957 describes a process by which puzzle scenes are connected by logic and not just simply by color or fit. Each piece is identically shaped and the puzzle can be correctly assembled only by figuring out the devious maze! A complete solution and hints to get you started are included inside. Good luck! [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: La Santorini, Greece
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: MB Puzzles, Big Ben
Notes: Santorini (Greek: Σαντορίνη) is a volcanic island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece’s mainland. A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km, is surrounded by 300 m high steep cliffs on three sides. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon merges with the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island’s harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Plaza de España, Spain
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.6cm
Producer: Impressions, Sure-Lox
Notes: The Plaza de España is a building in Maria Luisa Park, in Seville, Spain built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture. The Plaza de España, designed by Aníbal González, was a principal building built on the Maria Luisa Park’s edge to showcase Spain’s industry and technology exhibits. González combined a mix of 1920s Art Deco and ‘mock Mudejar’, and Neo-Mudéjar styles. The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous beautiful bridges. In the centre is a large fountain. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. [Wiki]