Sizzling Summer Puzzles

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Bicycle Jigsaw Puzzle, By: Mary Lake-Thompson, Pieces: 1000, Size: 26.625" x 19.25".

After I managed to work the border which took the longest time for the whole puzzle, I chose to start with the 3 purple bikes, then the pink-coral bikes, onto the greens and leaving the yellows for last - besides the 'main' bicycle word. There are a lot of fun little details to be seen when assembling it but no areas were as challenging as the border. I can highly recommend this jigsaw puzzle as a perfect puzzle experience, even for novice puzzlers! Bicycle Jigsaw Puzzle  

Brand: Galison Puzzles, Title: Rainbow Seashells, Artist: Julie Seabrook, Pieces: 2000, Size: 38.6" x 29.5". This being almost a 30" x 40" puzzle, there ended up being 5 boards used for laying out the pieces.  My normal speed for a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle would be about 18-19 hours, however this was more challenging at approximately 25 hours. Rainbow Seashells jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Springbok, Title: Lures of Long Ago, Pieces: 500, Size: 18"x 23.5".

The Springbok - Lures of Long Ago is a delightful experience that went together smoothly and in great time. This being a Thrift store purchase for .50 cents, I am very pleased all the pieces are available which is always like a little bonus.

Take a look at the lovely array of Vintage Lures with the Year dated in the close up photos - super fun!!!!

Lures of Long Ago jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: CraZart, Title: 12 Mini Desserts Jigsaw Puzzle, Pieces: 500 Size: 12 Individual puzzle sections. After the initial sort was completed I took each section and built the desserts according to size, starting with the smallest of piles and working my way up to the largest piles. The puzzle pieces are quite random cut - some have very small pieces that could easily get lost so I was very mindful of that. 12 Mini Desserts Jigsaw Puzzle  

Brand: Springbok, Title: There's Always Room For Jello, Size: 24" x 30", Pieces: 1000. It's bright, it's colourful and FUN with the common random shapes cut known by Springbok. Looks so delicious when completed. It was about 12 hours of enjoyment! There's Always Room For Jello jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Springbok, Title: Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, Pieces: 500, Size: 18" x 23.5”.

Springbok, the Tiger Tiger Burning Bright is a Thrift store purchase. Very lucky for me all the pieces were there.

And also luckily for me, the random cut shape of the Springbok pieces made it a little easier to assemble this one as obviously some of the Tiger-colour pieces were tricky to sort out.

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Karmin International, 2004, Artist: Kevin Daniel, Title: Touch of Blue, Pieces: 500, Size: 18" x 24".

Kevin Daniel has captured the true beauty of these Bluejays in this jigsaw puzzle. I located this one in the Thrift store for $2.00 about 4 years ago. I don't usually just assume all the pieces will be included in Thrift store jigsaw puzzles and I actually consider it to be a BONUS when they are.

However...this one I secretly wished they were all there because I knew instantly that I wanted to keep it. Touch of Blue jigsaw puzzle 

Brand: Standout Puzzles, Title: In Emerald Water, Artist: Amy Frank, Size: 24 x 18 inches, Pieces: 750. Overall the assembling experience was enjoyable. The images that Standout Puzzles uses are quite unique in the artist series being their chosen brand and style. The pieces are cut in a mixed shaped but not outstanding random cuts like others. The specialized Artist's the company uses to brand their line of puzzles puts the price of the puzzles on the higher end. In Emerald Water jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Hennessy Puzzles, Title: Tiki Time, Pieces: 1000, Size: 19.25" x 26.75".

Frankly I thought the Tiki Time sign would be much easier than it turned out to be but I enjoyed the challenge.

That said, most of the rest of the images came together as being built in clumps on the side then adding the tan colour border throughout the image. Quite a delightful experience. 

 Tiki Time jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: CraZart, Title: 18 Mini Butterflies Jigsaw Puzzle, Pieces: 500, Size: Individual puzzle sections. After the initial sort was completed I took each section and built the butterflies according to size, starting with the smallest of piles and working my way up to the largest piles.
The puzzle pieces are quite random cut - some have very small pieces that could easily get lost so I was very mindful of that. 18 Mini Butterflies Jigsaw Puzzle  

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Feelin' Smurfy, Artist: Peyo / Se sentir Schtroumpf, Pieces: 1000, Size: 26.625" x 19.25. I love the way this one looks when completed. It's clean, organized and colorful. It may have added some extra tricky areas with the white edges and white/blue pieces, but it was not enough to discourage the experience. The Smurfs are still a very popular search too. Feelin' Smurfy jigsaw puzzle 

Brand: JaCaRou Puzzles, Title: Eggs in Frame, By: Anie Maltais, Pieces: 1000, Size: 26.625" x 19.25" - There were several sections to this image so I broke them down like this;
The border/background
The coloured frames around the eggs
The coloured inside of each of the eggs framed
The colours for each of the eggs
The colours for the stands for each of the eggs
Then I proceeded to build each one like mini-puzzles. Once the frames around the eggs were done I slid the sections into place within the outside border. That said, I should mention the excellent quality of this brand therefore coming highly recommended. Eggs in Frame jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Buffalo Games, Title: Splash of Coca Cola, Pieces: 300 medium to large size pieces, Size: 21.25" x 15". There is a smooth finish to the Buffalo Splash of Coca Cola jigsaw puzzle and the oversized pieces have a nice firm-snappy feel to them - of course that being part of their marketing features as shown on the back of the box.
 Splash of Coca Cola jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Springbok, Title: Decades of Tradition, Size: 24" x 30", Pieces: 1000. To start with, I assessed the colors on the box and determined that my approach would be to assemble this one similar to assembling a collage jigsaw puzzle image. I let the color piles determine themselves as I sorted the border pieces aside. 
Decades of Tradition jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Bits and Pieces, 2004, Title: Horse Show, By: Barbara Gibson, Pieces: 550 shaped puzzle, Size: 20" x 24".  When I spotted this puzzle for $1.00 at the Thrift Store I was hesitant because the box was open and the pieces were not in a bag - not a good sign. But I love horses and shaped puzzles so I thought I would give it a go based on 'hope' that I would once again win the 'Thrift-Store-jigsaw-puzzle-lottery' and I was thrilled and amazed at my luck!!!! Horse Show Shaped Jigsaw Puzzle  

Brand: FX Schmid, Title: On The Wings Of An Eagle Jigsaw Puzzle, Artist: Sally J Smith, Size: 23" x 38.5" BOARD ALERT, Pieces: 500.  I must admit the border remained a mystery for some time! On The Wings Of An Eagle Jigsaw Puzzle    

Brand: Great American Puzzle Factory, Title: Cruisin' Classics, Artist: Lewis T. Johnson, Pieces: 500+, Size: 36"x 11.25". On the back of Cruisin' Classics jigsaw puzzle is the image with the vintage cars numbered and then a list with the title of each car. Cruisin' Classics jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Springbok, Title: Solstice Floral, Pieces: 1000, Size: 24" x 30". I don't know flowers so I cannot give them names but I think the orange ones are Tiger Lilies (I could be wrong). I had to identify the pink flowers by their patterns which was doable but tricky. The background 'sprigs' (I'm calling them) which are the whitish colors were fairly easy. That left the dark green patches which were assisted by the shapes of the pieces. Thank goodness for the shapes of the pieces! Solstice Floral jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, Title:Quilt Blocks, Artist: Cobble Hills Creations, Pieces: 2000, Size:  26.625″ x 39.25".  Being a collage-type image, I merely chose one of the Quilt Block colors and assembled it - there was about 20-25 pieces for each block. The photos shows the random blocks I assembled, laying them out into the approximate position. I found that to be quite enjoyable and it the entire puzzle when together quickly. Quilt Blocks Jigsaw Puzzle    

Brand: Cra-Z-art, Title: Scoops'n Shakes jigsaw puzzle, Photo: Karen M. Romanko, Pieces: 500, Size: 18.25" X 11".  I am not fond of the thin pieces but I do appreciate the great photos this company produces in puzzles so that's the attraction - not to mention the price. Some of these CraZart puzzles can be found at the Dollar Tree store for $1.25.   Scoops'n Shakes jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Dowdle Folk Art, Title: Banff, Artist: Eric Dowdle, Pieces: 500, Size: 16" x 20". I like the size of this jigsaw puzzle. It's 16"x24" which leaves room for pieces around the outside yet still on the 20"x30" foam board as shown below. I started with the brightest, bluest areas in the water first which helped distinguish the boat-dock. I went straight up to the mountains as they were fairly easy to see. The next areas were buildings with lots of window and I left the trees for last. The Fairmont Hotel was the most trickiest of all areas. Banff jigsaw puzzle 

Brand: The Jigsaw Puzzle Factory, Title: Devon's Cove, Artist: Henry Petersen, Size: 19.125 x 26.625" Pieces: 1000 with poster. The Jigsaw Puzzle Factory is a new venture of Leap Year Publishing which was founded in 1997. I can highly recommend trying these jigsaw puzzles. This one was a real delightful experience! Devon's Cove jigsaw puzzle 

Brand: Puzzle So Hard, Title: Flower Patches, By: Danielle Clough, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20 x 27". Think quality! We all know first impressions speak volumes - well you will not be disappointed with the quality. This has got to be the sturdiest puzzle box I have noticed in my puzzle hobby, it's outstanding. The shipping was speedy, it comes sealed in plastic, there's a poster inside and the pieces are cut clean with black backs. A very classy postcard was sent along to thank me for my support. Flower Patches jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Galison, Title: Avian Friends Jigsaw Puzzle, Artist: Geninne D Zlatkis, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20 x 27" The finish is very nice on these Galison jigsaw puzzles and the piece quality is very good. This type of puzzle image, known as a collage, went quite quickly, just under 8 hours. It may be surprising but this is the VERY first time I have completed a 1000 piece puzzle from start to finish (in between my daily duties) in one day!
Also this puzzle is said to be the #1 best seller at Galison's Puzzles and is perfect for a newbie to 1000 pieces puzzles. I can easily highly recommend it! Avian Friends jigsaw puzzle 

Title: Woodland Wildlife 1981, Brand: Waddingtons, Bramelea, ON Canada ,Size: 20 inches in diameter OR 50cm, Pieces: 500. This is a 38 year old jigsaw puzzle (at the time of this writing). I bought it for 50 cents and lucky for me it was complete. Being only 500 pieces it was a real quick fix too. Woodland Wildlife jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, Title: Fruit and Flutterbies , Artist: Barbara Behr, Pieces: 1000, Size: 48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″.  Once I established their positions I worked all the fruits and flowers which left only the green leaves combined with the blue background and there was a LOT as seen below. It took me just as long to complete the green/blue as it did to assemble the rest of the puzzle - it was a workout indeed which was the fun part ;) Fruit and Flutterbies Jigsaw Puzzle 

Brand: Buffalo Games, Title: Grandpa's Potting Shed, Artist: Steve Read, Size: 38.5" x 26.5" BOARD ALERT, Pieces: 2000. I didn't even get the border done first this time. I started with piles of colours and placing pieces together. The kittens seemed most outstanding on the green bench along with the red flowers.
 Grandpa's Potting Shed jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, Title: Parisian Flowers, Artist: Barbara Behr, Pieces: 1000, Size:19.25" x 26.625″. I had 4 steps for this one. Build the border, build the Cobble Hill Flower Shop sign, build the frame of the building and then the flowers would find their positions. It did flow exactly like that as you can see steps 1-3 completed below. Parisian Flowers jigsaw puzzle  

Brand: Karmin Jigsaw Puzzles, Artist: Joseph Giordano, Title: Garden Friends, Size: 18x24”, Pieces: 550. I have to admit it is the Artist Joseph Giordano's ability to capture the reality of the image especially the apples that I was attracted to in this image.
However, just look at those precious little kittens being sweet as sugar. It's a darling image including birds and butterflies.  Garden Friends jigsaw puzzle   

Brand: Cobble Hills Puzzle Company, Title: Frog Business, Artist: Lori Anzalone, Pieces: 1000, Size: 19.25 x 26.625″. First thing - I did not assemble this one. It has been put to the test as a first-time user of Cobble Hill Puzzles by my adult daughter and her Man. You should know they are Gen-X. The photos share the great quality and random cut on Cobble Hills Puzzles and is exactly what sold this Gen-X couple to have a renewed look at puzzles. They said the random cut pieces made a huge difference for easier assembly and the feel of the matte finish was impressive. There's more details in the review.  Frog Business Jigsaw Puzzle